Judgement
by Absolutely Cullen
Summary: Edward Cullen and Emmett Swan are on the trail of a serial killer that is stalking the residents of Washington State. He's already claimed three victims. Will they be able to catch him in time before he claims his next, their beloved Bella.
1. Chapter 1

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_To my amazing, talented, wonderful, and ever patient beta SydneyAlice, my most humble of thanks goes out to you. For without you this story wouldn't be half as decent as we both hope it will turn out to be. It would have probably remained a jumbled rambling, in my ever scattered mind. _

_If you need a wonderful story, please check out her "I Will Follow You Into the Dark". Trust me you will laugh, cry, and long for the relationship described in her story. And I ask you to find a more adorable version of Seth as a child out there. He alone tugs at your heart strings._

_Without further ado….I give you "Judgment". _

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Judgment: **opinion: **an opinion formed or given after consideration; **divine punishment: **a misfortune regarded as a divine punishment for folly or sin; **decision on disputed matter: **an opinion formed or a decision reached in the case of a disputed, controversial, or doubtful matter.

**My name is Isabella Marie Swan. I was judged, and this is my story.**

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BPOV

Drip

Drip

Drip

Drip

What is that? Did I leave the faucet on after brushing my teeth last night?

My mind felt so fuzzy. Like when you are just waking up from a deep sleep and nothing is really connecting or making sense yet.

My hair was hanging loosely down around my face. It felt so stiff and scratchy against my skin. I could tell it was matted and dried. My stomach began to churn as I smelled the awful rust and salt smell of blood, and I willed myself not to throw up from it.

My arms were aching from being in the same position for God knows how long. I tried to control my head as it bobbed up and down lazily as I took in my surroundings. My eyes felt so heavy, like I was trying to open them with lead weights attached to them.

I was cold, so cold. A chilling breeze blew across my back as an awful stinging sensation nearly caused me to break out in sobs.

I shook my head trying to clear it from the fog in which I felt consumed. My memory seemed to be just as jumbled but was slowly starting to clear.

I had just gotten into my car to leave work. I was so excited because it was the last day of school. The parents of the children that I taught in my kindergarten class at Forks Elementary had all chipped in and bought me a three day spa weekend as a thank you for a great school year, and I was raring to go.

Don't get me wrong - I loved those little buggers. Each one will always hold a special place in my heart, but boy was I ever glad to see summer break arrive.

As I started the engine, the radio blared full blast at me playing a song I hadn't heard since high school - "Hungry Like a Wolf". Just as I had begun to reach for the volume, a hand had reached from behind me, covering my nose and mouth with a cloth. I tried with all of my might to scream, but that it just came out as a muffled sob.

I scratched, clawed, kicked, and fought with all of my draining strength.

But then there was just blackness.

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_Author's Note: Ok so I know the first chapter was short, but they get longer as you continue reading. I hope you have enjoyed it so far and are wishing for more. If you feel so compelled please leave me a review. The next chapter should be up before weeks end. With the help of my wonderful beta SydneyAlice, and barring that I don't interfere with her own posting, I hope to have at least a new chapter up once a week. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my story. _


	2. Chapter 2

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_If you need a wonderful story, please check out "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by my beta SydneyAlice. Trust me you will laugh, cry, and long for the relationship described in her story. And I ask you to find a more adorable version of Seth as a child out there. He alone tugs at your heart strings. Bring yourself a box of tissues you'll need it from time to time._

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Chapter 2

I closed my eyes in frustration. My memory of the events ended there. The next thing I remembered was now. Waking up on this cold metal table.

As I lay there I realized I was strapped to it. My arms ached as I tried to move them. I realized my wrists were bound above my head by something that felt like straps. I could only assume my feet were in the same predicament as they were virtually impossible to move even an inch.

If I didn't calm down I would start to hyperventilate and pass out. I couldn't afford the full blown panic attack that I so rightly deserved right now. Think Bella think, what happened next?

What did happen next?

My eyes started to well up with tears realizing the situation I was in.

_Stop it Bella, _I chastised myself. _Charlie and Emmett would be so pissed at you if you broke down right now. Rosalie is already going to have your ass in the gym for the next month as it is. You can NOT break down right now, you just can't. They have taught you enough over the years to get yourself out of this mess…I hope_.

Laying my head back down onto the table I stayed very quiet and still just gathering my bearings. I couldn't hear any movement in the room, just my labored breathing. I could hear rushing water, and it seemed all around me. That was odd. I fought so hard to hold back the tears from falling.

_Don't cry right now Bella. Just wait. There will be plenty of time to fall apart later once you've gotten yourself to someplace safe,_ I thought.

I tugged a little on my right wrist, rearranging myself to get a better look around.

Did my wrist just move more than before? I glanced up; yes it did. The strap used to bind my right wrist looked as if it was a bit frayed.

_Sweet Jesus give me strength_, I prayed. I began to rub the strap hard against the edge of the table, pulling with all my might at the same time. It felt like this was taking forever, and my arm was already so tired. But I was making progress. The more I pulled and scraped it against the table the more I could hear the tiny fibers tearing. After a few more tries my arm shot back at me quickly. I flexed my fingers trying to get the feeling back into them.

I quieted down again, listening to see if my commotion had caused who ever it was that had grabbed me to notice. But I still heard no response.

Quickly and quietly I reached over and untied my left wrist. As I got onto my knees I winced at the now stabbing pain coming from my back. I couldn't tell what was wrong, but it must be serious if it knocked my breath out of me. I couldn't focus on that now. I had to get myself free.

I twisted uncomfortably, I was able to reach my ankles. As I eased off the table onto the floor, I jumped a bit at how cold it was. The room was so dark I couldn't really make out a lot of features, but I could tell that I was standing on stone flooring.

Scrambling through my surroundings I found an old shirt that had been balled up and tossed onto what looked like a workbench. I yanked it on, and it went past my knees. For this I was thankful as there were no pants to be found. I began running my hands down the cold, wet walls feeling for anything - a light switch, a door knob - anything to give me some sense of direction.

My hand gripped the cold metal of what I was sure a latch of some sort. I squinted my eyes more to try to get them to adjust. My head was still so foggy from the after effects of whatever that lunatic had knocked me out with.

With a little more effort I got the latch to turn with what seemed like a thunderous click. Surely from that eruption of noise I would be caught. But once again I heard nothing, just that ever - constant sound of rushing water all around me.

As I slowly pulled the door towards me I noticed it didn't creak like I had assumed it would. _Move Bella you don't have time to go into deep detail of master craftsmanship of doors. You've got to get yourself out of here and figure out where you are. _

Easing my head out of the door I looked both ways.

Left looked like it would lead to a dead end. Note to self, find another way to describe path that has nowhere positive to go. The right held a faint glimmer of what might be light? I couldn't tell for sure. It was flashing off and on like candle light, maybe?

I eased myself out the door heading towards the right, all the time looking back - certain I was going to be found out at any moment. My feet were freezing against the icy floor. It was so cold my teeth started to chatter and my breath, I noticed, was coming out in puffs.

My feet, of their own accord, started moving faster and faster towards what was actually turning out to be lights. Racing forward, the palms of my hands smacked painfully into wooden slats. I began yanking, tearing, pulling with every last bit of energy I had at them, trying to find enough space I could squeeze through.

I couldn't be concerned about the excess noise now. I was so close to freedom.

Finally, I freed a board, tossing it to the side. I was then able to push down the board below it, just enough that I was sure I could slip my body through the opening.

Trying to be as careful of my back as possible, I hurried through the small space.

As I was pulling my leg free, a strong, hard hand reached out and grasped my ankle. Yelling and screaming in panic, I fell down. I began kicking the person who was holding me, who was trying hard to yank me back in.

I tried to remember what Rose had said in one of our classes not too long ago. "Bella if you can't make a man let you go, make him SING". Stomach, Instep, Nose, Groin. Well it would have to be the nose because I couldn't kick him in the nuts like I had wanted to.

The heel of my foot collided with his nose as I kicked with as much force as I could. I could tell he fell back and released my foot.

Scrambling to my feet I began to run. I wasn't sure where I was running to but anywhere was better than here.

My heart was pounding; I was certain that it was going to come out of my chest at any moment. I knew I was in a forest. Leaves and branches were slapping into me, whipping me as I ran. But it was so dark, and there were so many sounds all around me, that I was just overwhelmed with it all.

Over and over again I fell as I ran, the palms of my hands I'm sure were scarred and bleeding by now. But I had to keep running.

As I tried to glance behind me, my feet hit open air. I was falling. Screaming, I rolled head first down an embankment.

I finally came to a rest and I could hear and feel the whipping of cars passing by me. The lights were blinding as I still had yet to see real light. After another short pep talk I pulled myself into a standing position, but just barely.

I stumbled out into oncoming traffic. Waving my hands frantically, someone had to stop, please someone stop, I silently begged. It briefly passed through my mind what I must look like at this moment, racing towards oncoming traffic, completely mangled and only wearing a shirt.

One car after the next passed by me, swerving to miss me or to avoid having to deal with me at all. By now I was crying hysterically.

The next car I could see coming. I got down on my knees and folded my hands. Right in the middle of the lane, I looked toward heaven as tears poured down my cheeks. Begging this car to have the decency to stop.

It did. And out came my saviors.

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_Author's Note: I have come to the conclusion that I am a comma and hyphen nightmare. If it weren't for my amazing beta SydneyAlice, I would be one constant run on sentence from beginning to end. I hope that her tips are sinking in along the way, so maybe by stories end, she won't have to watch after me on that quite so much. _

_The chapter is longer than the last. And they are getting longer as the points of view are getting more detailed. I hope that you are enjoying the story so far and where I am taking it. _

_Thank you SO much to those that have put me onto story alert. That means the world to me to know someone is purposefully following my story. The next chapter or two hopefully will be up in the next few days._

_Once again to my amazing beta SydneyAlice….you're a doll never change that girl!_


	3. Chapter 3

_******Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.****___

_**If you need a wonderful story, please check out "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by my beta SydneyAlice. Trust me you will laugh, cry, and long for the relationship described in her story. And I ask you to find a more adorable version of Seth as a child out there. He alone tugs at your heart strings. Bring yourself a box of tissues you'll need it from time to time.**_

**I'm so sorry this has taken so long to get posted. My beta and I have both been very sick this past week, and I ran out of peanut butter. (You know that saying one excuse is as good as the next - thus the peanut butter comment LOL) Sorry it's short but I wanted to get it posted.**

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**Chapter 3**

**Rosalie's POV**

**Alice and I were driving home from a very long day of PS, or Progressive Shopping, as we liked to call it. It's always progressive if we found just the perfect dress WITH matching shoes, and we didn't have to hunt all over Seattle and Port Angeles combined to find them. **

**Our best friend Bella didn't join us this time, the big party pooper. The parents of her kindergarten class had all chipped in and gave her a gift certificate to a weekend at a spa. Of course green has never been my color, but I confess I was green with envy. **

**Even though she adored them, Bella worked hard for those little rugrats and deserved a little time to herself. Frankly, Alice and I had a running bet as to exactly how long it would take her to give in and call us up to come join her because she was bored to tears - even with all of the personal massages that she swore she was going to take. **

**We were about 15 minutes outside of Forks cruising along, singing to the latest Justin Timberlake CD, when Alice screamed. **

"**ROSE, LOOK OUT!!" **

**I was barely able to pull to a stop mere inches from the terrified person praying in the middle of the road. Slamming my car into park, I jumped out, ready to give this obviously insane creature a piece of my mind when Alice got out screaming. **

"**Rose, oh my God it's Bella"! **

**I couldn't believe my eyes. Huddled into a mass on the pavement before me was my best friend. She was torn, battered, dirty; her hair was everywhere and the back of her shirt was soaked through with blood. **

"**Alice, get in on the driver's side" I ushered her. She came forward helping me to gently lift Bella, trying to be as careful as we could, not to hurt her further. I didn't know what the hell had happened to her, but I was going to do everything possible not to further that pain by pulling on her too hard.**

**Alice raced back over to the driver's side and helped me lay her down in the back seat. Thankfully, we had the top down and it was easier to maneuver her without the roof getting in the way. **

**Just as I had her feet tucked safely in, I heard it. **

**It was unmistakable and something inside of me told me it meant trouble. My head snapped up, searching out the sound of screeching tires. Someone had stopped very suddenly and I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach it was because they had seen what we were doing. **

**I jumped into the car, slamming my door and yelled for Alice to floor it. She didn't hesitate, thankfully. My car shot forward like a rocket; thank you Emmett for that boost kit for Christmas. Fucking bright headlights were blinding us through our mirrors as the car tried to catch up to us. **

"**Alice," I said without hesitation, "whatever you do get us to the police station now before that maniac catches up to us." I reached down into my purse that had been knocked over in our haste to move Bella and found my cell phone, quickly calling the number I knew by heart. The work phone of the man whom I considered to be pretty much my second father, Charlie Swan.**

**As the phone rang once, then twice, I couldn't come up with what to say. How do you tell the man you love like your own dad that you have his daughter in your car, broken and blooded, while you are being chased by a what must be a mad man?**

"**Chief Swan here," My mouth was suddenly desert dry. **

"**Charlie, it's Rose. We are 5 minutes out, and we are coming in very hot!" **

**Charlie had always said if we needed to run to him for safety of any kind - safety from a boyfriend/date, the heeby jeebies from a situation we were in, whatever - to call in "we are coming in hot" and he and whatever staff he had on hand would be pulled to meet us in the parking lot. I swore when he gave us girls those instructions as teens I would never have to use them. So far, I've used it only once…and this time, like the last, I so wish it had just been heeby jeebies I was calling in about. **

**After a quick "done" from Charlie the line went dead. By the time I was done with the 10 second phone call we were maybe a minute out, but the jet black mustang was closing in on us quickly. Alice knew the curb from hell, as we liked to call it, was coming up, and we had to slow down to get around it or, at the rate we were going, we'd most certainly flip the car.**

**Slamming the car into neutral and hitting the brake as carefully as she could, we still slid into the other lane. **

**The other car, obviously not being as familiar with the area as we were, didn't realize that he needed to slow down as much and ended up ramming the driver's side door of the car into the guard rail. **

**I could see Charlie and four deputies standing outside now. Looking behind us I saw that the black car was doing everything it could now to get back onto the road to head in the opposite direction. **

**Charlie motioned too all four deputies to follow. They jumped into their cruisers and sped off. Alice came to a screeching halt at the station, and I couldn't help but think that my brakes are so going to need an overhaul after this. **

**Charlie ran to my door - a look of alarm plastered on his face. "Rose, sweetie what's going on?" **

**I didn't say another word. I just slowly turned to look behind me - directing Charlie's attention to my back seat where Bella lay sobbing, gasping for air. **

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_**AN: Ok, so who honestly thought it was going to be Edward saving the day as he always does? Don't worry, our white knight will be showing his gorgeous face soon. This is ultimately a Bella and Edward story after all, so I can't leave out my hunky hero. **_

_**Thank you so much to all of my reviewers and those who have set me up on story alert. That truly does my heart so much good to see. You just don't know what encouragement that is for me to see pop up in my emails. I absolutely squeal with delight when I get them. I think I've told my wonderful beta SydneyAlice about every one of them - I'm sure she's getting tired of it LOL. I have two more chapters that I hope to get posted in the next few days, so please bare with me. **_

_**What do you think Charlie's reaction will be? If you have any questions so far please let me know…I'll be happy to answer what I can, without giving away to much plot, HE HE. **_

_**Next up: Charlie's POV **_

_**Love you all!! **_


	4. Chapter 4

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_Thank you to my Beta SydneyAlice for working so tirelessly to help me get these next few chapters out to you. I promise Edward is coming, just be patient._

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Chapter 4

Charlie's POV

I hung up the phone with Rose. The fear gripping at my chest about what could possibly be wrong was staggering. "Everyone, stop what you are doing and let's go, NOW!" I yelled to the office. I knew I had at least four other officers with me

I could already see the headlights of Rose's car barreling towards us. "Coming in hot" was an understatement. She had only used our signal one other time. I prayed nothing like that had happened tonight. The last time was enough to last a father a lifetime, and I had the gray hairs and worry lines to prove it. But I knew if she used that phrase, especially with nothing else said, that this was a dire situation not to be taken lightly. I did my best to brace myself for the worst.

As I watched her car racing towards the station, I noticed also a dark black, late model, Ford Mustang right on her tail. This must be what Rose was calling in for. Well no one was going to come after my little girls and get away with it.

Rose had always been like a daughter to me ever since she met Bella in kindergarten. Right away, she had taken my shy little girl under her wing and "taught her the ropes" of Forks Elementary. Ever since that day she and Bella had been inseparable. They did everything together - including adding their third musketeer, as they called Alice, as their bestest buddy - not long after she and her family had moved into town.

Rose's father and mother had passed away when she and her brother were still very young. They had been living with a foster family. Once the Cullens had moved to the area, it wasn't long before they were adopted by Esme and Carlisle.

Jasper and Rose would never really say it out loud - but finally being a permanent part of a family like that again meant the world to them.

The Cullens, another set of kids that I felt like were my own. Alice and Edward were almost the same ages, just a mere 11 months apart.

Alice, always a ball of energy, kept me in stitches for years. She could take almost any situation and make it a night of laughs.

Edward was her complete opposite. He was a quiet, shy kid much like my Bella. He kept to himself, rarely "stepped outside of the box" as Alice liked to put it. He was always so organized that I think his lists had lists.

When Alice had befriended Rose and Bella, it didn't take long before all of the kids started to choose one of the two houses for over night stays.

Granted, I was a little unsure at first about boys and girls mixing like that, but I knew between the two families that the kids would never get into any REAL trouble. The only other time that gave me pause to rethink this situation was that first time that Edward really seemed to take note of Bella.

FLASHBACK

_Bella had been complaining about her loose front tooth for days now, but I couldn't talk her into letting me pull it. She was out back when she heard the one sound that always sent her running full speed ahead. That little bicycle bell on Edward's bike he always rung as he pulled into the drive to alert her he was here._

_She took off at a dead run. Unfortunately for my bit of a klutz daughter, her feet didn't move always at the same speed that her brain wanted them too and she ended up tripping over them - falling face first onto the ground. Huge crocodile tears were pouring down her cheeks as she pulled herself into a sitting position. Edward had raced over to comfort her, completely discarding his bike. As I reached them Edward had already pulled Bella into his lap, holding her head on his shoulder. Her little sobs being muffled by his Star Wars t-shirt. "It's ok Bella, don't cry, everything will be ok". Bella looked up at Edward with a large scuff mark from her fall on her nose and cried, "Snot thair I tall down all dee time". _

_Bella's big, brown eyes got bigger as she realized she wasn't speaking plainly just as Edward asked "Hey Bella why didn't you tell me you lost a tooth, I would have brought you a quarter." The realization only made Bella begin to cry harder. Poor Edward. He just looked up at me completely lost, "what did I say?" _

_I picked my little girl up and held her in my lap, tugging gently on her trembling chin. "Let Daddy take a look," I said as I gently motioned for her to open her mouth. "Yep, it's out alright." I grinned as Bella wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, sobbing as though her heart were broken. _

_Edward and I gazed around looking for Bella's tooth - which really only amounted to a little grain of rice, that had fallen out. I could hear Bella murmur against me, so I gently pushed her back so I could hear her properly. _

_Both Edward and I were paying very close attention as she said the next words - "You won't find it, I think I wallowed it," followed up by another bout of tears. _

_Edward was gently rubbing her back, completely confused as to what to do to get Bella to stop crying. _

"_Bella, baby, why are you crying? You wanted that tooth out for days now," I said. _

"_But if I wallow it, I don't have a toof to put under my pilwoah tonight, and then the toof wairy won't bring me any money." _

_Both Edward and I just couldn't hold it in any longer; we both started to giggle. This, of course, only made my little angel mad. _

_She pulled back, putting her hands on her hips, pouting out her bottom lip, scowling at both of us. "And just what is so sunny?" This was going to be hard - not cracking up with that tooth gone, listening to Bella speak. _

"_Because baby," I tried hard keeping a straight face as I explained, "the tooth fairy knows you lost your tooth - she won't make you miss out on your goodies just because you can't turn a tooth in." This seemed to appease Bella, and she began to dry her face. _

_Edward had grown quiet after Bella had explained herself about why she was so upset asking to be excused, saying he would be back later. _

_Two hours later, true to his word, Edward showed up, but this time arriving in the black Lexus of his father. I watched as he slowly walked up to the front porch with a gift bag in his hands. Sitting it down on the front stoop, he raced back to the car. _

_I waited until he had been driven off to open the front door for the bag, so as to not tip him off that I knew he had been there. Inside was a small, wrapped box with a tag marked "from the tooth fairy" written in his handwriting. _

_I swear that boy will never cease to amaze me. I trudged upstairs to Bella's room and placed the small box on her nightstand._

_The next morning a shrill squeal came from Bella's room as she came stumbling down the stairs towards the kitchen. _

_A very tired looking Emmett, who himself was only 5 minutes older than Bella, had his head down on the table eating a piece of toast and jam. _

_She literally danced over towards me thrusting her wrist out to me. "Look at what the tooth fairy brought me, isn't it beautiful?" _

_There, dangling from her wrist, was a silver bracelet with a heart charm with a blue and green stone on both sides. That smooth devil had me hand deliver to my little girl, the first of many gifts of love and devotion he would give to her over the years. _

_To this day she still wears it. That's when I started to rethink Edward Cullen. And perhaps, unknowingly, so did Bella. _

END FLASHBACK

As I pulled myself out of my trip down memory lane; I remembered that Rose had mentioned that she and Alice were heading to Seattle for the night for some shopping.

I didn't like the idea of them driving so far away at night, having gotten a late start. But when it came to shopping, I soon realized, you just didn't get in their way or you'd be barreled over.

The car came to a screeching halt. Rose practically jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop. She didn't say a word to me, she just turned slowly - allowing me to see the back seat of her car. I came face to face with my worst nightmare.

There, my baby girl, my little angel, lay curled into a ball, sobbing so hard she could barely breath.

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_AN: Bella and Esme's POV next and then…..drum roll…..Edward's POV and it's a long one too. So come on, be my faithful few and just bare with me for just a chapter more. Trust me Edward is just as excited to get his POV out there as you all are to read it. _

_Thank you to all of you who have put me on Favorite Author, Story Alert, or reviewed for me. I am sorry I've not had a chance to address every review, but they are greatly appreciated. I'm so glad so many are enjoying this story. I hope it continues to be just as entertaining and interesting. _


	5. Chapter 5

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_Thank you to my Beta SydneyAlice who has been so wonderful today especially even though she's not felt well and helped me to get these chapters out. I've got one more chapter, the one you guys have been waiting for, after this one and then I'm going to take a little break and not post for a few days. My beta deserves a break from the comma and hyphen war that I put her through in reviewing for me. _

_SydneyAlice, rest up girl. You MORE than deserve it!! Thank you for being so awesome!!_

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Bella's POV

I was running.

The forest floor was hurting my feet, but I knew that I had to keep running. The low growl that I could hear behind me was getting louder and louder. My heart was flying and it felt like I couldn't breath. The light I had been running towards was so close I could feel the warmth of it on my fingertips.

Just as my hand reached completely into the warmth, I felt it, a hard arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me back into the darkness, the growl right at my ear…"MINE".

I jerked up out of bed screaming, my arms flailing. Two sets of hands were desperately trying to hold me down. And I fought as hard as I could against them. One set rough and calloused but tender and gentle, the other set soft, feminine.

_No, no not again don't take me, someone please help me!_

I could barely see out of my swollen eyes, but I realized who those hands belonged to almost immediately.

My father held my hands gently in his, making sure that I didn't do more damage to myself than I had already done. Esme, the woman whom I had taken as my mother since I was 8, was cradling me in her arms - trying her best to soothe me as she has so many times before.

I heard a door open and close and soft footsteps coming towards me. "She yanked the IV out before we could stop her. She woke up screaming, the poor dear is terrified." Esme's soft voice could always soothe away my fears. I settled into her arms, whimpering, wincing slightly as Charlie still tenderly held my hands still.

The next set of hands I would have known anywhere. They have fixed more than one broken bone, stitched up tons of cuts, and felt for fevers many times to my hot brow. Carlisle Cullen.

The only man, next to my own father, that I looked on with as much deep love and admiration as though he were my true father. Gently he set my IV back up, wincing with me and muttering a soft "sorry" when he had to reinsert the needle into my hand. He knew I hated needles, the fact that he had to stick me twice I'm sure didn't sit well with him.

A nurse, I think her name was Jackie, carefully inserted a needle into one of the ports for my IV bag. Not long after I began to feel all warm and fuzzy. My heart monitor had long since slowed back down to the point where Esme felt comfortable settling me back, face down onto the bed.

Whatever had made my back hurt so badly from earlier, must be pretty bad if they weren't allowing me to lay on it. But that was ok, this was more comfortable anyway, this is the position I normally slept in.

As my eyes began to drift closed, I wondered to myself exactly how bad off I really was.

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Esme's POV

Charlie and Carlisle quietly excused themselves from the room to talk. I made sure that Bella was covered completely.

My darling girl hadn't had nightmares like that last one since she was a small child, not long after my dearest friend Renee passed away. She and Emmett both were so torn and lost without their mother.

Aside from Charlie, their mother Renee, was the light of their life and without her they felt so lost. Something as simple as getting up and fixing their own lunches for school would set one or both to crying.

Renee had her little routines that meant so much to them now and were sorely missed. Small things like PB &J day - the crust cut off for Bella and four layers of the sandwiches smashed together for Emmett, were heart breaking to them to let go. Bella tried so hard to pick up where Renee had to leave off, but the tiny hands of a ten year old can only do so much.

It was not long after Renee passed, that I took it upon myself to become "Mommy Two," as the kids started calling me.

I did whatever I could to help Charlie transition into the role of a now single parent, but it wasn't easy. He never realized how much Renee did around the house and for the kids.

Renee was no Martha Stewart; but she always made sure the laundry was done, everyone had something clean to wear, the dishes were washed, the house was clean. It seemed to Charlie the list went on and on and on.

He finally broke down one night crying while sitting on his sofa. "Esme, how am I going to do it without her? She was my angel. She did so much for the kids and for me. How do I ever step up as their mom, when just being the dad is hard enough?"

It broke my heart to see Charlie like this. His face was covered by his large hands, the soft sobs muffled so as to not alert the children sleeping upstairs.

"Charlie, I'm sorry to say you don't replace Renee. You never really will. But you've got two terrific kids up there, they are more than willing to help you anyway they can. And you don't have to become super parent. It's hard enough for two parents to do this job, no one expects you to be able to do it all by yourself." I gently rubbed his back, hoping that my words, meager though they were, could bring him some comfort and understanding to the situation.

Now, as I looked down on my other daughter, I couldn't help but feel so sorry for Charlie now. He always felt he fell short as a lone parent. To have this happen to his only daughter, his little angel - I could only hope it wouldn't set him on a path of self loathing, feeling as though he somehow failed to protect her from the harms of the world.

I gently smoothed back Bella's hair from her forehead as I watched her sleep. Since her arrival at the hospital, as she slept, she had taken to sucking her thumb. To some it would have been adorable, but to me I was worried, this wasn't normal behavior for Bella.

Carlisle said that it was a comfort method. "Children often reverted to it and you shouldn't worry too much about it as it would usually pass off with time and acceptance of the events that happened."

I couldn't help the anger that coursed through me at that thought. "Acceptance of the events". Why should Bella have to accept this event? This event shouldn't have happened in the first place.

I carefully placed my hand on her gauze covered back; it was so mangled. Carlisle said it wasn't nearly as bad after they had cleaned her up. But my little angel would be scarred for life.

From what I could gather from the news, Bella would be considered the fourth victim of this maniac. But there was one stark difference - she had lived, she had gotten away. Now maybe some real evidence could be gathered to finally capture this guy and put him away.

She sniffled in her sleep, pulling her thumb further into her mouth. I tucked her hair gently back over one shoulder. The monster had even cut her beautiful hair. It normally fell in long, mahogany waves to just above her hips and now it was barely brushing her shoulders.

Bella was not a vain person by any means, but she loved her hair and kept it long for a reason. Edward, my son, and her long time boyfriend, loved it long. He'd spent hours over the years just running his fingers through it. Sometimes you'd find them sitting, snuggled together, his face just buried in it. But I knew my son. Bella could have been bald and he would still love her unconditionally, that's just how their love was.

Thinking about my son focused my mind sharply back on the case at hand. They would catch this guy, I just had to believe that, and my little girl would be the one to lead them to him. Then she would have her revenge, her closure, then she would somehow find her peace.

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_AN: I can't believe I've actually put author's notes at the bottom of every chapter. I am not normally an author's note kinda person. But for those of you that read them thanks because I do try to make them important. _

_First off, the chapter you have all been waiting for is next. Edward will be speaking and giving his POV next. I hope that you will find it was worth the wait. It will be a longer chapter, and my last for at least a week. _

_You guys, my amazing readers, make this journey I'm taking in this story so much fun. Thank you so much for all of the reviews, and alerts you've set me up on. Keep'em coming._

_Love you all! _


	6. Chapter 6

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_Thank you to my Beta SydneyAlice who has been so wonderful today especially even though she's not felt well and helped me to get these chapters out. I'm going to take a little break and not post for a few days. My beta deserves a break from the comma and hyphen war that I put her through in reviewing for me. _

_SydneyAlice, rest up girl. You MORE than deserve it!! Thank you for being so awesome!!_

_And finally what you have all been waiting for, the appearance of our beloved Edward. I hope it was worth waiting for. _

_******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************_

Edward's POV

I had been staring at the files for the past four hours looking for anything. Something we had missed, some detail that would give us another lead to follow.

This was always the frustrating part. The road blocks, the dead ends. The point in a case when it seemed every avenue had been exhausted and there just was nothing else to do but go over it all again and hope to keep it fresh in your mind.

Running my fingers through my hair I sighed in frustration.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. We were the good guys, the heroes, they always win in the end right? They weren't supposed to be stumped, the bad guys running amuck on an innocent state. But it seemed this guy was always one step ahead of us every time we got close. We would take two steps; he would take five. Always out of our reach. And now the count was up to three. Three innocent women had been brutally raped and killed all in the Washington state area. And as if it couldn't get worse, they were all violated in another way as well.

They had all been tattooed.

The case had been given the name "the Judgment Killings" because each victim was always left with a tattoo on her body of her "crimes".

The tattoos started off very simplistic, and almost, if you will forgive me, comical.

Jessica Stanley age 23, raped and murdered, left on the side of the road last December 2008. Her tattoo, a bicycle. Granted it was a pretty detailed bike, but nonetheless a bike.

It was my partner, Emmett Swan, that who had come up with the solution to what that had meant. "Everyone gets a ride."

It was February 2009 before we saw the same thing occur again.

Victim's name was Lauren Mallory. The findings of her death were much the same as the first, only this tattoo was much more intricate. More details, this guy was getting better.

A picture of the naked backside of a woman partially hidden behind a door frame with a pile of clothes discarded to the side was her judgment.

After a little digging into Lauren's past this one was easy enough to decipher. Lauren was stripping to pay for law school. She hadn't been seen for 3 days before she was finally found.

The next one occurred in April 2009. He was establishing a pattern, he was killing ever other month. Apparently he would stalk them for a month, learn their routines, their habits, and then take them the following month.

In almost every case the women would be missing for three days before we found them. Sadly everyone of them dead, and everyone of them brutally raped, murdered and judged.

The last killing hit home the hardest, Angela Webber.

I had known her in high school. She was a very sweet, shy natured girl that was nice to everyone. She never had a cross word to say about anyone - very polite, extremely smart, just the kinda girl you could never find anything to dislike about. Even her habit of being so nice was a likeable quality as she was never fake in her attitude towards you.

My girlfriend, Bella Swan, was her best friend so we hung out a lot together. In high school, I have to admit, I had a lot of girls that liked me because of my looks. But with Angela I never felt that from her; she was just a comfortable friend. Besides, she was always so wrapped up in her boyfriend, later her fiancé, Ben Cheney, to really ever pay me that kind of attention, which I was fine with.

Bella would always be the only girl for me.

Running my fingers through my hair again - Bella said I'd rub myself bald one day doing that so much - I let out another exasperated sigh. Ben. Now that was heart break number two.

Emmett and I considered the "Judgment Killer" to have claimed four victims. Ben became number four by taking his own life after Angela's death. Angela, like the other victims, was found three days after Ben had reported her missing.

He was devastated. She was his world, his sun, and now without her he was shrouded in darkness. In a lot of ways I could really sympathize with him. If anything were to ever happen to Bella I don't know what I would have done. We thought that he was handling it well, or at least as well as could be expected. No one saw what was coming.

Ben couldn't help but feel that it was all his fault that she was taken and killed.

Angela's "judgment" was a full bodied, extremely detailed, likeness of her holding what looked to be a riding crop tattooed on her back, standing just behind what would later be determined to be a closed door.

"What goes on behind closed doors," I muttered.

Ben admitted that not long after college, he and Angela had started experimenting into different forms of adult entertainment. Just harmless fun kept secret between the two of them. They never allowed their actions to venture outside of their own home except for one time, and apparently that one time was enough for the killer.

Part of their routine was to spend Friday nights acting out a scene. It could be role playing, dressing up, or just having sex in a different location in the house other than their bedroom.

One Friday night – the week before Angela was taken - they had gone to a movie together. Ben dared Angela to give him a hand job right there in the theater with so many people around them. It was her regular Friday night challenge to try something new, and if she didn't obey, that meant she would be flogged when she got home.

Apparently the killer had been in the theater and saw their display. One week later, Ben returned from work on a Friday afternoon to an empty loft to find Angela gone and the living room ransacked.

When she was found dead three days later on the side of the road his world ceased to make any sense, and it was five days later he ended his life.

I slammed my hand down on the desk. I was just so frustrated! There had to be a break in this case and it had to come soon. We had covered every lead and there just was nowhere new to go.

The women that had been abducted so far had very regular routines, easily mapped out for someone to follow. They drove the same way to work every morning, they shopped at the same grocery store on the same day every week. It was almost down to a half hour time frame when they would even pick up their mail in the afternoons. These women were easy targets and they didn't even realize it.

They all had medium to dark hair. They were all between 5'5 to 5'7, all in the range of 110 to 130 pounds. They were all considered by their family, friends, and co-workers to be very likeable, very attractive, and didn't have an enemy in the world.

This was all so frustrating, waiting for the next piece of the puzzle to fall into place. This also meant waiting for the next victim, hopefully allow us the next clue to bring us closer to catching this son of a bitch.

I rested my head dejectedly in the palms of my hands. Emmett chose this moment to burst through the conference room doors. "Let's hit the road man, we've just got a call about another possible victim."

I rose slowly from my seat, grabbing my jacket as I headed for the door where he still stood, oddly enough, smiling.

"Emmett, if we are about to head over to see yet another victim, can you explain to me exactly why it is that you are smiling?"

If possible, his smile only grew larger, "This one is alive bro. Somehow, this one got away."

My heart seemed to stop in my chest. I couldn't breathe for a moment, and my eyes must have been the size of saucers because he just clapped me on the shoulder, rushing for the exit leading us to our car.

I followed close behind, not really able to wrap my mind around what he had told me exactly. A victim yes, but she was alive. She had escaped somehow. She could talk, give us details, new insight, and hopefully, be the key to finally solving this string of murders.

Had I not just been hoping for something to break this case, and here it was, lying right in my lap. And yet I couldn't shake the feeling of a pending doom about to fall on us. Some unknown dread and fear that was about to hit us square in the face .

Having been so deep in thought I didn't realize it, but we had been driving about 40 minutes. Emmett, driving as always like the bat out of hell that he seemed to be, had us only about 20 minutes outside of our destination. It was then that I realized that we were taking the all to familiar route to Forks, Washington.

Why? Why did it have to be here that yet another victim was found? That had to be another key clue. The bodies were always found in or around Forks. Never Seattle, never Port Angeles, just Forks.

This was my home; this was Emmett's home. Why was our home the source of so much violence all of a sudden? This is the place where if Charlie, Emmett and Bella's father and Chief of Police, gave out so much as a speeding ticket it was big news. And now it was home to murder.

We couldn't have been more than 10 minutes outside of the Forks city limits when Emmett's phone began to ring. If it hadn't of been the most angelic voice on the face of the planet singing the ring tone it would have been very annoying.

"Emmett! EMMETT! Pick up the phone!! You know I'm just going to keep calling till you pick up the phone!! Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!!"

Bella Swan, I couldn't help but chuckle at the sound of her voice as he flipped his phone open with a smirk on his face. "What's up lil sis? I thought you were supposed to be spa'ing it this weekend?"

The shit eating grin on his face started to fall as I glanced over towards him waiting to hear the latest news on Bella.

During the week, Emmett and I shared an apartment, but on weekends I always came home to my angel. Bella and I would always grab a late Friday night supper and then spend all weekend wrapped up in one another. Sometimes we'd just do odd jobs around the house; getting groceries, fixing meals, doing laundry. Or we'd just spend time with one another doing "couple" things.

Even though she still lived with Charlie, until we could get a place of our own, he never really seemed to mind that I slept over. Bella says that Charlie has come to accept the inevitable; I'm around to stay. So why fight it?

Although his daughter's sex life was not high on Charlie's list of "things a Dad needs to know" we had both been honest with him. Bella and I weren't ready to go there. We weren't promising to wait till marriage, but for right now it just wasn't the right time for us to take that kind of major step together.

We had been "officially" dating since our freshman year in high school - which Emmett often times joked with me about what exactly I was waiting for - but we had just gotten to the point where we had decided to take the step of moving in together. Being intimate was just too much too soon right now for either of us.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a healthy, adult, male with a gorgeous girlfriend. They say guys think about sex once in every 5 minutes of the day. Well let's just say I definitely have no problems meeting that quota when it comes to Bella. And more times than I care to admit, I've "taken matters into my own hands." But Bella was more than worth waiting for. When it did happen, it would be the perfect time, place, setting, everything. I was going to make damn sure it was perfect for her.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Emmett yelled which startled me out of my day dreaming. Emmett would never say anything remotely like that to his sister.

In his anger he had swerved the steering wheel a bit into the other lane of traffic, which I quickly grabbed and righted back into our lane.

"If you so much as hurt a goddamn hair on her head I'll rip your fucking balls off and shove them down your throat," he growled.

"Hello, HELLO, HELLO!!! FUCK!!!" He screamed before slamming his fists into the steering wheel. The vein on his forehead was throbbing and his face was as red as a ripe tomato. You could practically hear his teeth grinding together.

"What the hell happened, man" I asked.

"Someone took Bella," he choked out.

My face blanched white. Someone took my angel. Someone took my beautiful Bella.

How did we not know this? When, how, what were the details?

Just as I was about to start spewing forth all of my questions, Emmett's phone began to ring out again. Only this time with the theme from COPS playing in the background.

Chief Swan.

Emmett ripped open the phone, apparently not even realizing the change in ring tone because he unleashed a torrent of curse words at the person on the other end.

After a moment his face turned softer as he realized he had just laid into his father. "Dad," he sobbed brokenly, "I'm so sorry, I just got the most horrible fucking phone call. Have you heard from Bella, has she called yet?"

Emmett fell silent. I've learned in this business that silence often meant bad news. And this silence was deafening.

"We'll be there in five," he said as he clipped the phone shut.

I watched tears start to form in Emmett's eyes. Emmett's isn't one to often cry. But when he did it meant it was painful, it was something really horrible, really bad. Emmett looked to be on the verge of a full blown panic attack so it had to have meant it was family this involved.

He jerked the car into the hospital parking lot and barely had it in park before he was bolting for the door to the emergency entrance with me hot on his heels.

"My sister, Isabella Swan, she's been admitted, I need to know what room she's in?" I realized then it was what ever situation Bella was currently in that had Emmett so distraught.

Bella's visits to the hospital were common placed. She had been breaking bones, skinning knees, spraining this or that for so many years - we often teased her she was going to be dropped from her insurance and declared a natural disaster. But part of me loved her more because of this. I always felt so useful, being the one that could come to her rescue and save her from harm.

No sooner than Emmett had the words out of his mouth than my dad, Carlisle, was rounding the corner at a full out jog to get to us.

"I've got this, Jackie," he called. "Boys come with me." he instructed. The look on my dad's face, I can't really describe. Most times my dad had the look of a doctor. He could hide most any emotion, deliver heartbreaking news of a death, or a life changing outcome from a surgery and never blink.

When he told us to follow him, my Dad blinked, and it scared the hell out of me.

We followed behind him practically right on top of him, Emmett asking question after question about Bella and what had happened to her. My dad wouldn't offer up much other than "Emmett, it's best if you see what's going on first hand".

The tension in the elevator on the short ride up the four flights was suffocating. The ding to announce we had arrived at our floor actually made me jump slightly.

Stepping out into the intensive care department, turning to our left heading towards the waiting areas. As we got closer we could hear sobbing. Not just regular crying, but gut wrenching, heart is completely shattered, kind of tears.

As we entered the small closed off area Charles Swan, the man who was practically my second father, rose from his chair to meet us.

To say he looked horrible would be putting it mildly. His face was ashen as though he had seen something that scared the color right out of him. His eyes were blood shot and rimmed in deep red from crying. Even his mustache still had traces of tears that hadn't been wiped away.

My sisters Alice and Rosalie, were huddled together in a corner. Alice was the one I had apparently heard crying so fiercely. Rosalie looked as though she was just holding it all together by a string, ready to crack at any moment.

Rosalie was Emmett's wife. And two people couldn't have been better suited for one another. Where Emmett was childish, she was authoritative. When Emmett started cracking practical jokes, often times it was Rosalie who snapped him back into line. But you will never find a more fierce and loyal person than Rosalie Hale Cullen-Swan. She loved Emmett as though he were an extension of herself. The moment someone began to attack him because of his childlike nature, you better watch out, because Rose's claws would be coming out to defend her man.

She was just like this with her family. No one hurt a member of Rose's family and if they did, well you had better be prepared for the shit to hit the fan, because she wasn't going to take it lying down.

Emmett rushed to Charlie's side and grabbed him by the shoulders to steady him. "Dad, what the hell is going on? No one will tell me anything. What's happened to Bella?"

Chief Swan reached over, putting his hand around my neck, pulling me close to him before addressing his son.

"Emmett, I've never kept secrets from you. But this is one time where I can't tell you what happened, you have to see it. Both of you, do whatever you can to steady yourselves. She's in pretty bad shape." His bottom lip trembled with that last bit.

I have known Charlie most of my life. I've only seen him cry maybe three times total. One, when Bella graduated Elementary school and turned her little hand made tassel to the side of her cap to signify her moving on to high school; two, when Renee died after having struggled so long with her illness, and finally, when Bella and Emmett graduated college.

If Charlie, one of the toughest men I knew, was crying now I wasn't sure even I could be man enough to stand up to whatever it was he was about to show us.

We followed him down the hall to the closed door of room 445. He slowly pushed it open, stepping into the barely lit room. Moving slightly out of the way we both edged into the room. What I saw next nearly tore my heart from my chest.

There, laying on the hospital bed, being watched over by my mom, was my beautiful angelic Bella.

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_AN: So did Edward's POV answer any lingering questions you might still of had so far about what was going on? Don't worry there's a lot more Edward POV to come. But I promised you I'd get him out there and make sure you all got a taste of Edward tonight. I'll post again in a week I hope. _

_Was it worth me making you wait so long? I really hope so._

_Thank you for reading, love you all, and love, love, love, my Edward! _


	7. Chapter 7

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_AN: I'm so sorry that it's taken me a while to get this chapter up. Thank you to those who have waited patiently for it. I hope you end up as happy with how it turned out as I was. _

_To those of you looking for a wonderful story, please check out my beta SydneyAlice. Her story "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" is wonderful!!! You won't be sorry!_

_Oh and if you haven't noticed already I've posted a one shot for Halloween. Just a little trick or treating fun with the Cullen family. I hope you will take a little while to read it. It's my first attempt at a one shot, and if you've read my author's notes in the past, you know I get long winded LOL. So be settled in before you read it, it was over 5,000 words LOL. But I promise it was a very touching story that I loved writing._

_Love you all!_

_**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************_

EPOV

She looked so peaceful. Adorable even. Gently sucking her thumb, trying to curl up into a ball. She was lying on her stomach - on a bed that was so large - compared to the rest of her small frame. It was not until the light from the overhead lamp hit her face that I saw it. I couldn't help but gasp.

Bruises. Scratches. Cuts. Deep gashes marring almost every inch of her face, arms, and legs. Her eyes were swollen and I wasn't sure - if when they were opened, exactly how much she'd be able to see out of them. Every piece of skin revealed, seemed to show a new hurt to her pale, beautiful body.

Looking at her, I guess I had forgotten how to breathe. My legs and arms were aching, begging me to go to her, to hold her. The need to comfort Bella was almost overwhelming. But somehow, my mind said to wait, to figure out the big picture before freaking out.

Emmett looked like he would pass out at any moment. He was sucking in oxygen faster than most people could stand. The death grip he held on the bed railing would almost certainly hold his fingerprints once he let go.

My father had slipped past us, standing beside Bella's bed. "You need to see this. Bella isn't just here because of her injuries. She's also your latest victim."

As he was saying this, Esme had eased back the white sheet and pale blue blanket from Bella's body. She slowly opened her gown in the back to reveal what I knew would be there.

My father pealed back the bandages to show a very angry looking, jet black tattoo staring back at us. Angel wings, how appropriate.

If you were looking at the it from an appreciation of art work, then they truly were beautiful. So much attention to detail they looked as though they were almost 3-D. As if you could stand back and watch them almost start to flutter as Bella breathed in and out.

Emmett finally gave in. He rushed to the adjoining bathroom that was in the corner of Bella's room, retching into the toilet.

Me. It seemed all I could do was stand there gaping at my key witness. The girl I had loved for the vast majority of my life. I was numb to say the least. It was as though my world had been turned on its head in a matter of just a few minutes.

Bella began to whimper in her sleep. The sound was tearing at my heart. My dad covered her back up with the bandage and my mom retied her gown, gently laying the blanket back up around her body.

Her tiny hand grabbed greedily at the blanket, snuggling it under her chin as her mouth kept sucking at her thumb. Bella always took the covers at night. She jokingly said it was her secret way of making me cuddle up to her more, so that I wouldn't freeze at night. This action, once so adorable to me, was now heartbreaking for me to watch.

Now she was grabbing at the covers as though they were a safety blanket, almost as if they were hiding her, keeping her safe and protected from the evils of the outside world.

Bella had been attacked. She was victim number four - or five, if you counted Ben as we did - of the Judgment Killer. Part of me wanted to pick her up in my arms and just run away with her. I closed my eyes, squeezing them tightly, grabbing at my hair. Maybe if I just focus hard enough, I'll wake up back at the office, and this will all have been a very bad dream.

I tried, I really tried. But when I opened my eyes I was still there in that damn hospital room looking at the love of my life trembling in her sleep. A huge wave of guilt rushed over me.

_I didn't protect her._

Bella was in this position because I didn't do my fucking job. I didn't catch this monster before he had a chance to hurt her. But all of her judgment hadn't been carried out yet. Yes, he had tattooed her. But he hadn't carried out her punishment yet.

"The rape kit came back negative," Dad said as he came to stand beside me. I let out the breath I realized I was holding in. _Thank God for small miracles._

"But the tattoo is heavily infected. We've got her pretty doped up on antibiotics to fight off the infection. Along with anything else that she might have caught from this animal."

Hepatitis, HIV, hell even Tetanus, you name it she was being treated for it. Carlisle was being very cautious.

Esme had excused herself a few minutes ago to go check on Emmett in the bathroom, who could still be heard sobbing and occasionally dry heaving into the toilet.

I tried hard to switch on my "investigator" mode. I had a job to do. And I had a living victim that I owed to do my job the best that I knew how. I had to catch this son of a bitch before he had the chance to do this to someone else again. I made a solemn vow to Bella, Angela, Ben – to all of his victims – that I was going to catch this madman if it was the last thing I ever do.

"I need all of the evidence you've collected, copies of the medical charts and notes you've made so far. And Dad," I paused wishing I had a better, easier way to say this, "I need pictures. All the bruises, cuts everything. Especially the tattoo."

Carlisle gave me a solemn nod before placing his hand on my shoulder. He knew I had a job to do. I had to be Edward Cullen, FBI detective, right now.

Later, I would be Edward Cullen, boyfriend to Bella Swan. Later, I could allow the flood of tears to flow for the pain my baby was going through.

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EmPOV

My head rested against the cold porcelain of the toilet in Bella's hospital room.

It felt like I couldn't breathe, and the constant throwing up wasn't helping any.

I had been with the FBI for almost 5 years now and nothing, nothing hit me as hard as seeing my baby sister lying in that hospital bed in that condition.

Even now, as I was trying to control my sobs, all I could see was Bella balled up on that bed, mangled up as she was. And I knew, that as our current victim, I had only seen part of the damage that was done to her. I knew I still had to look at that fucking tattoo with which this animal had branded her.

I could hear Edward in the adjoining room. He could be a machine sometimes. How he found the strength to be an agent right now, all business, I didn't know. He had loved my little sister since the first moment he had laid eyes on her.

Knowing he wasn't falling apart like I was right now made me feel very weak inside.

Edward was always a great guy. Even as a kid he was my best friend growing up. And when he finally admitted to me that he loved Bella, well, even at the age of 10, I turned on my big brother mode and gave him the "what for" when it came to my little sister.

Honestly though, I couldn't have picked a better person for Bella. He was loyal to a fault. If he could bend over backwards for you he would. Give you the very shirt off his back if you needed it. And on more than one occasion since I had met this messy haired little kid, he had saved my ass from one incident after another.

And he loved my sister with more passion and devotion than I think I have ever seen come from one person. Sometimes I'd catch him just watching her walk across the room. Some might find that kind of thing creepy, but I knew that he loved to watch Bella move. Not in an overly sexual way, just that he found beauty in everything she did.

There was no one else in this world that knew my sister as well as he, either. Not even I knew half the stuff he knew about her. Like how Reese's cups were her favorite chocolate candy. Even though she constantly made an argument that it shouldn't be considered a chocolate candy - since it did in fact have peanut butter with it as well, thus not a TRUE chocolate only candy. And how she nibbled the edges off completely before biting into it.

He knew that when she was nervous she'd bite the right side of her bottom lip. And when she was trying to tell him something he didn't necessarily want to hear she would bite the left side.

How she would rather sleep in an old cotton t-shirt of his than the fanciest of pajamas, which Alice hated might, I add.

Edward just knew my sister. And he loved every detail of her, both the good and the bad. Although my sister really didn't have any true flaws. Now don't get me wrong - she is no where near perfect, but she had no real hang ups. She didn't drink, didn't smoke, didn't even curse. The one time she did curse - after banging her finger in the car door - she blushed like crazy, covered her mouth as though she said the most foul thing in the world and ran inside the house.

Having him as a partner at the bureau made holding to my promise to Bella pretty easy. It was my job to keep us both safe, so that we would come home without a scratch on us.

After another few deep breaths, I was finally able to get to my feet with a little steadying by Esme who had come into check on me. Leaning over the sink, I washed my face and mouth out to get the taste of my lunch, burritos, out of my mouth.

Note to self. Mexican is HORRIBLE the second time around.

Edward was at the doorway waiting for me. I couldn't be in that room any longer. I needed a little air. So we stepped out to the waiting room again leaving Mommy Two to stay with my sister.

Have I mentioned how much I love Esme yet? I'd definitely have to remember to do something special for her soon.

As I trudged to the waiting room with Edward close to me, I'm sure to right me if I began to stumble, I noticed that Rosalie, Alice and now Jasper were waiting.

Rosalie was biting her nails, worry written all over her face as she rushed to me as I entered the room.

I wrapped my arms around her burying my face in her hair, drinking in her smell. I needed to calm back down and collect myself, and Rose had that effect on me.

She kept muttering soothing words to me as she pulled me into a chair.

Alice was curled up into a ball on Jasper's lap. I had never seen the pixie so still or so quiet in my life. She must have been really devastated by all of this.

"She's going to be fine guys," I croaked out. "She has to be."

Alice began to sob again curling into Jasper's arms. I realized it had been the same sound I had heard from earlier when we first arrived. I had completely missed seeing her there in my frantic state to get to my dad.

Jasper. Now that was a sight and story all in itself.

At first glance he is a very ominous creature. He was the kinda guy you crossed the street to avoid. His blond curly hair fell to his jaw line, long enough he could tuck it behind his ears to get it out of the way. He had piercing blue eyes just like his sisters that I swear could make you fucking cry when he was staring you down. But that's where similarities between the two ended.

Jasper, by anyone else's definition, was a rebel. From wrist to shoulder, on both arms, he was covered in tattoos. He had two earrings in each ear and a tongue ring - saying it wouldn't look right to customers if he wasn't even willing to wear his artwork.

Jasper was an artist, a tattoo artist that is. And he was great at his craft. He currently owned three shops in Washington State and was in the process of opening a fourth. He even owned a small, very well-known, little shop here in Forks. He mostly worked out of this one to allow Alice the ability to be close to home and them both close to their family.

People would come from miles around to little Forks, Washington just to have Jasper work on them personally.

Alice and Jasper had been married for six years now. Practically marrying right out of high school. They were the loves of each others' lives, and they never failed to remind you of that.

Whereas Jasper was tattooed, Alice was pure white snow. He refused to allow anyone to mark up her delicate skin as he said her beauty needed no enhancement. The only exception he made to this rule was when they married, and they both got matching tattoo wedding bands on their ring fingers. Jasper's said "Property of Alice Hale-Cullen, if found please return." Hers just had the word "Forever and Always;" she said there really wasn't a lot more that needed to be said beyond that.

Edward pulled me from my musings by plopping down a rather large and ever growing package of files. We had been meaning for a week now to have Jasper look over the pictures we had taken of the victims. Being a tattoo artist, we hoped he could give us some insight, something to go off of about the killer.

Edward began spreading out the pictures for Jasper to look over.

He held each one, studying the details carefully, after having eased Alice into the chair next to him to be comforted by Rose.

We all three huddled together as he reviewed each case. I wasn't sure what to expect, but there had to be something, right?

He picked up the Polaroids that Carlisle had taken just a few minutes ago of Bella's back. The digitals we would take back to the office to have blown up better.

Studying this one the longest, he slammed the picture down on the small coffee table, jumping to his feet and rushed from the room, Edward and I hot on his heels.

Reaching Bella's hospital room, he quietly opened the door to enter. Esme looked up from her protective spot over my sister and greeted us with a small smile.

"Esme, I need to see Bella's tattoo," Jasper said as he neared the bedside, I noticed his voice cracked a little at the end.

Esme carefully undid her gown again removing the bandages gently so as not to hurt her.

Reaching up, Jasper grabbed the light and craned it around till it was shining brighter on her back. The heat from the lamp making Bella tense a bit in her sleep.

"Holy shit!" He whispered.

"What man, what's going on" I couldn't hold back my questions with a reaction like that. It had to mean something positive, something Jasper had just realized.

"The tattoo," he gulped looking at me square in the eye.

"It's mine."

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_AN: I know. I know. That's a horrible way for me to leave the chapter. But isn't the suspense killing you to find out exactly what Jasper meant by that? (Evil giggle) I LOVE cliff hangers, but only when I know what's coming next! LOL. I should have a few more chapters posted very, very soon. _

_As always to my wonderful beta SydneyAlice….girl how can I say enough? Truly you make my words actually sound like English. Without you it would be one big long run-on sentence. _

_My English lesson for the day: Punctuation goes INSIDE the quotations! LOL I keep forgetting that for some reason. _


	8. Chapter 8

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_AN: There are several things about this chapter I need to explain before you read it. First it's short. Yes, I know, I hate short chapters too. But it's necessary. I only want you to get a glimpse of this person's POV. Plus I don't want you to forget he's there. Second, after a lot of thinking I just COULDN'T, with a clear conscious, associate this POV with anyone else. _

_I love these characters, and this POV is going to start getting extremely twisted quickly. I just couldn't put it on the same page with anyone else that I loved so much. So for right now at least, he's on his own, as it should be. I hope you understand._

_I hopefully will have a lot more up soon. And once again THANK YOU for reading!_

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?POV

_THAT FUCKING BITCH!_

I think she broke my fucking nose.

Why did she run? Didn't she realize that she was my angel? That I loved her, that I had given her my best work? She was my masterpiece. She was where I was going to stop. I had it all planned out.

I had been watching my beautiful angel for a full month. Much longer than my other subjects. She was pure grace, from the way she walked or would toss her long brown hair over her shoulders when she would bend down to address one of those obnoxious kids, to how she would laugh like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard when someone told a joke. Even her occasional stumble over her own feet was enchanting. She was pure, so beautiful.

The more I watched her the more I knew I had to have her. She would be my finale. I would capture my angel and keep her for all eternity, in a gilded cage if need be.

She was what I had been searching for forever. No flaws. She didn't drink, smoke, curse, she was polite to everyone - always careful to address you properly with a "yes sir, or no sir." Hell, from the research I did on her she was even still a virgin.

That fucking boyfriend of hers would have changed that in a heartbeat if he could though. He would have been a problem if he didn't work out of town so often.

And what kind of name is Edward? That's what your grandfather is named, not a man his age.

He would arrive late Friday night and stay till early Monday morning. Always the same routine. Always like clock work leaving at the same time so as to beat morning traffic back to Seattle. He was so easy to follow. Some FBI agent he was. Didn't even realize he was setting his own patterns down so that anyone with any common sense could follow.

Sometimes I would sit below their window, hidden from sight in the bushes. The idiot always left the window cracked a bit at night to let the fresh air in. I guess I couldn't really blame him though. He only did it because Bella liked to feel the breeze across her skin.

Ah, her skin. Even that was pure perfection. She was a pale, ivory colored, almost like my very own china doll. Her lips a ruby red that just ached to be kissed. She had a small dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, and her blush, god how I loved to see her blush.

That fucker of a boyfriend always did something to bring out that blush even if it was just a simple kiss to the temple as he left in the morning.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I knew I had to do something about my nose. I was sure it was broken, and if I didn't get it set properly, then it would cause me a lot of problems later. I'm sure she didn't really mean to do it. If she had realized how much I love her she would never have tried to hurt me.

We would have been running from here by now. But no, she had to put up the pretense that she was scared of me. She wasn't that great of an actress.

I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door. Ok, it wasn't so much of a door as more like a metal slab laying across an opening to a cave entrance. But it was home sweet home to me.

Heading to the shed I jumped into my Mercury Cougar, opting for it instead of the Mustang. Damn cops that had followed me earlier would surely have already put out an APB on it so there was no way I was taking it out now. Besides, after having hit that guard rail - while chasing those bitches that picked up my angel - my driver's side door was in some major need of repairs.

I headed for the local hospital, id and insurance cards in hand. Just get patched up quickly and get out of there. The fewer the questions asked the better.

I wasn't finished. I couldn't get caught, not yet.

As I pulled into the parking lot I noticed several cruisers were parked haphazardly into places at the emergency room entrance.

Damn, cops, this was going to be tougher than I thought. But I made my way over to the entrance, carefully scanning my area before going too far in. I had to know the lay out so that if I needed to make a quick escape I could.

I quickly walked to the admissions desk to speak to my favorite nurse that just happened to be on duty. She wasn't really my type. I usually go for brunettes, but this one had long, wild, red hair that she always pulled into a pony tail. But other than, that she really was a looker. And even in hospital scrubs, her perfect tits pressed tightly together just waiting for me to give them a good squeeze.

She was a constant flirt and truth be told, I didn't object to it. Having someone on your side at the hospital, even if it's unknowingly, would actually work in my favor. She looked up smiling from her paperwork before a deep frown set in, obviously realizing, why I was here.

The blood from my nose had long since crusted over and a dark blue and purple bruise was setting in. She rushed around the desk to help me, the eager little beaver always ready to please me - _ah to please me, I'd have to think about that one a little more, wouldn't I? _

Ushering me into a curtain area she grabbed a cold compress and placed it gingerly over my face to help with the swelling.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright?" It was really quite cute how she was so flustered, worried about me. If she only knew, right? "How did you do this to yourself?" she asked, gently probing around my nose to see if she could feel a break or just a bad dislocation.

"I dropped some fucking boards that I was storing away. Damn things landed right on my face." Hey, it might been a sloppy lie, but I could tell by the puppy dog pout on her face that she fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

"It looks like it really hurts".

_No shit!_

"I'll give you a shot to help numb up the area and then get a doctor for you." She walked over to a small locked cabinet, pulling out a new syringe and a bottle of clear liquid. She prepped the needle and as gently as fucking possible, I'm sure, she stuck the bridge of my nose, numbing it.

She disposed of the needle in the waste receptacle and locked the small cabinet back up again. _The keys to that little cabinet would have come in very handy recently._

After giving me a "good boy" pat on the thigh, that surprisingly actually started getting me hard, she exited the room in search of a doctor to tend to me.

She returned a few minutes later with fucking Doogie Howser himself. The asshole couldn't have been more than twenty-two if that old. Some child prodigy I'm sure. But at least he was quick and efficient. He was done setting my broken nose in just a few minutes. The sweet Novocain fucking felt great - I didn't feel a thing as he popped it back straight.

My little firecracker excused herself, with my id and insurance card, back to her desk to start the billing paperwork.

"I'll be right back, Seth," she said with a big smile.

As I was putting my jacket back on I noticed another doctor had come up to the nurses station speaking to her. I couldn't hear all of what was being said, but I knew not to get too comfortable where I was. You never knew when you'd have to make a run for it.

I saw her hold up my id, reading from it to the blond haired doctor. He looked my way, locking eyes with me, a grim look appearing on his face, before turning back to Nurse Hot-pants.

He reached for the phone at the desk before turning his back to me. Fucker thought he was slick. I had just stood up when I noticed my little nurse casually twirling her hair, looking at me and pointing with the same finger towards the doors leading me further into the hospital. She was signaling for me to leave. I'd have to give her a big kiss for that one.

In less than a minute…I was gone.

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_AN: I know, another A/N right? I'll keep it short. Now I know you might have in your mind who this person is, but no asking. I've never asked for reviews before, but this time to my wonderful readers, I'm asking for them. I've never tried writing from a "hated" POV before so I'm a bit concerned that it might come out wrong. So if you have a free moment press that little button below and let me know what you think. I'd really appreciate the feedback at least on this POV._

_As for the rest of you. I've gotten some AMAZING reviews that I swear just drive me to write more and work harder. To all of you, thank you so much for sharing this story with me. I'm glad so many of you like it. More should be up soon._


	9. Chapter 9

********Twilight is owned in it's entirety by the all powerful, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing other than these original thoughts. We, the humble millions, just share in her love for the characters she created by creating our own worlds, where they exist in our stories. Thank you Stephenie for your creation.******

_A/N: Saved for below. Thank you for being such a faithful reader….I hope you enjoy Carlisle's POV. Oh and I have to share this…I bought Robert Pattinson's "The Haunted Airman" from Best Buy the other day. If you've not seen it; and you are a fan of him and his work, then you will want to check it out. _

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CPOV

The information from Isabella's case was being processed on the second floor in our labs. I just had to make a quick stop on the ground floor in the emergency room to pick up some of Bella's personal items. I had promised Edward I would go and get all of what we had collected so far for him.

My son. He was a tough cop; it's one of the many things that Charlie, Bella's father and Chief of Police of our fair town, admired about him. But I could see that he was pretty near his breaking point. He was taking these "Judgment Killings" pretty hard because it was striking his home town, and affecting so many people that he had known while growing up.

And now it had hit home - his beloved Bella.

I was going to need to be strong for him. Esme and I both had always thought of Bella as one of our own daughters. After having Edward and Alice so close together, it had put too much of a strain on Esme's body to the point where she had been told it wouldn't be safe to have anymore children.

This had broken Esme's heart as she and I had always talked about having a large family. When we moved to Forks and learned the situation of the Hale children, well, we were just overjoyed to offer them a home, another chance at a family.

And then when Renee, Esme's dear friend, passed away and we started helping Charlie by taking on what responsibilities we could in parenting - well, it seemed as though we had gained two more children.

Our hearts were so full with the love we felt for all of the kids. We had finally gotten the big family we had always wanted, and now it seemed that every member of my family was hurting and in pain in some way or another.

Edward and Bella. How would they ever get through her attack? Her recovery from this, both mentally and physically, would take a lot of time. Would they be able to last through it? They've been through some tough things before, but nothing like this.

Alice and Rosalie. My poor babies. They were quietly dealing with their own trauma of finding their best friend, broken, battered and bruised on the side of the road. Running from whomever it was that was chasing them that night. Rose has always been so tough on the outside, but on the inside, I knew she was being torn apart. And Alice, she had been at the hospital waiting on word of Bella for almost two hours now and hasn't said a word yet. Just simple nods of her head to answer questions. This was not the little ball of energy that was my youngest daughter. Normally, you wouldn't have been able to strap her down because she is always so full of life.

Charlie and Esme. Charlie has always wondered for years if he was doing the right thing in the process of raising Bella. "What do I know about raising a little girl?" he'd say. He'd call either Esme or I over anything on which he had a question. From "Does she wear a dress on the first day of school?" to "When do I have "the talk" with her?" That one, he was practically begging Esme to do for him towards the end of the conversation. She just laughed and told him to send Bella home with Alice that day and she'd take care of it.

Now his little girl, his little angel, was lying in a hospital bed in possibly the worst state imaginable to a father, and he had no clue how to handle it. What father would, really?

Esme was a wreck. You wouldn't know it by looking at her because she was always composed, ready to handle and deal with any situation that arrived in order to come up with the best end solution. Edward was just like her in this manner. But I could tell by the way her eyes would water over with tears that threatened to fall as she looked at Bella. And just as those tears were on the verge of breaking through, you could see her grit her teeth and press her lips together in a firm grimace. The momma lion was just aching to pounce on someone for hurting her baby.

Emmett and Jasper were probably the two that were as messed up emotionally, as much as Edward and Bella.

Emmett had always made it his goal in life to protect his baby sister. Granted she was only five minutes younger than him, but to him, that could have meant five years. She was still his little sister and no one was going to mess with her.

But now he felt as though he had failed her. She had gotten hurt and it was all his fault, or that's how he felt. He wasn't going to rest until this maniac was caught and paid for what he did to Bella.

Jasper. He was always so in tune with the way everyone else was feeling. And with everyone's emotions all over the place, he'd often times just sit holding his head because it was all so overwhelming. Plus, finding out that Bella was scarred with a tattoo, something he enjoyed doing for a living, nearly drove him to a breakdown.

My family was going to need some serious repair in the coming months. I knew that I had to speak to Bella about therapy to help her deal with all of this. In all honesty, I probably needed to confront everyone with that prospect. We have always been such a tight knit family and to have this knock the wind from our sails, well, we would need outside help to recover. I was sure of that.

As I reached the nurses station, I noticed that one of our newest nurses was working tonight. Victoria was a sweet girl, even if she had a bad habit of flirting with anything attractive - male or female – that walked through the hospital doors.

I picked up a couple of files that I'd need in my explanation to Edward regarding Bella's tests, and I noticed a new set of paperwork laying on the desktop.

The name was what drew my attention, and I began to search the large room for him.

"Victoria, this patient, where is he currently? I know him," I explained. She motioned towards the curtain area to my right to a man sitting on the gurney, showing me the ID he had obviously offered her.

I slowly turned back to Victoria after having gotten a decent look at the guy, being sure not to appear to be staring. "Victoria, I want you to get security on the phone right now for me," I whispered.

I picked up the other phone and called Sue Clearwater's home.

"Sue, it's Carlisle Cullen. Is Seth there with you?" The thought of something happening to that young man made my heart ache. He was such a good kid. Very polite, kind and sweet to everyone he met.

"Well, if he's not then someone else is devouring the lasagna I just took out of the oven," she said with a laugh.

I ran my hand through my hair, sighing, a habit I'm sure I had picked up from watching Edward.

"Ask him to check his wallet and see if he is missing his insurance card, would you?"

I heard her cover the phone before asking Seth to check his wallet. Sure enough, she came back on the phone to say that he didn't have it and wasn't sure where it was. Playing football for his high school, he always kept things like that on him for emergency purposes.

"Tell him I have it here at the hospital. If he could come pick it up tonight that would be great. I'll explain more to him when he gets here."

"Is something wrong? Did he do something?" Sue asked clearly worried.

"No, no it's nothing like that. Don't worry, he's not in any trouble."

I quickly said my goodbyes as I could see the security officers were coming down the hall at a fast pace.

I turned to look at curtain three - where I needed to direct the officers. It was empty.

"Seth Clearwater" had somehow gotten away.

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_A/N: Ok so I didn't keep you waiting for the explanation that long this time. So I'm forgiven for ending the last chapter with a cliffhanger right? Carlisle's POV is actually to me very hard to write. I admire him so much as a father, and doctor. He's always given off such a feeling of confidence and always knowing what to do in a situation. That feeling is very hard for me as I rarely know what to do lol. So he's a challenge for me._

_Also it's come to my attention that perhaps I've got far to many POV's going on. And truth be told, now that I go back over it, I think I agree. Thank you to my reviewers who pointed that out and to my lovely beta SydneyAlice who mentioned the same thing. Great minds think alike you guys LOL. So I do have a few more chapters from other POV's already done but after that I think I will back off and keep it Bella, Edward and the Killers. I think it will be more intense that way... no disrespect intended for my other beloved characters. I probably will throw a little Emmett in there from time to time as I just love the teddy bear. As always I hope you enjoy!_

_To come: We will be jumping back to Edward's POV. I know, him not being in the story as much yet is like pulling a band-aid off slowly, BOY is it painful to endure. But towards the middle of this story it shifts to him and Bella so much that you might just get sick of them LOL (oh I hope not). So I figured I'd get in my other beloved characters POV in while I can. We love them too right?_

_English lesson for today to me, from my beloved beta SydneyAlice: Sentence flow is very important. What makes sense to you, in your mind, doesn't always make sense or flow properly on paper. Sometimes reading a questionable sentence more than once - rearranging the same words just in a different way - will allow you to see how the sentence flows better. _


	10. Chapter 10

***Twilight disclaimer from previous chapters still applies, darn it. But I do own these original thoughts…which I hope you enjoy.

_A/N: I love the reviews. I'm down right giddy whenever I get one no matter the length. Thank you so much for your continued support. I'm sure I'm forgetting something I wanted to say - or someone I wanted to thank, but I'll remember it later and kick myself then. Till then…enjoy this next chapter from Edward's POV. _

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EPOV

"The tattoo," he gulped. "It's mine."

I felt all of my air completely leave my lungs. His tattoo. What did that mean? There is no way it could mean what he implied. Jasper wouldn't hurt a hair on Bella's head, much less do this kind of thing to her.

There was an explanation, there just had to be.

My line of thinking took no less than five seconds to cover. In that time frame, however, Emmett had successfully lifted Jasper up by the throat, pinning him to the wall of Bella's hospital room.

The loud bang of body hitting wall woke Bella - much to my dismay as she needed rest to heal.

But as much as I love her, I had to stop Emmett from killing Jasper right now.

I grabbed his wrist, locking my arm around his neck trying to break his hold.

Gasping for air, Jasper had to have been lifted a good two feet off the ground.

Emmett was raging. The veins in his neck were bulging with his fury and his arms were taut holding Jasper in place.

"What do you fucking mean it's your tattoo?" he said through gritted teeth. "And think carefully before you answer that Jasper. I'll break your fucking neck like a twig if you lie to me."

Jasper let out a harsh cough, clutching at Emmett's huge hand that was wrapped around his windpipe. "It's…my…tattoo. I…drew…it. But…I…didn't…do the work."

Carlisle and Charlie had both run into Bella's room upon hearing the commotion and were desperately trying to help me pry Emmett off of him. Charlie finally had to throw in a rather low blow, putting just enough force on the back of Emmett's knee to send him to the ground. It was an old football injury from high school, and Emmett, from time to time, still favored that knee. We were finally able to break Emmett's hold on him as he hit the ground hard, his knee giving out on him.

Jasper was our friend, my brother, and I had never seen Emmett this enraged before. If he did any real harm to Jasper I knew he'd never forgive himself later. We had to hold Emmett and his rage back long enough to get an explanation. He would thank us for it later.

Clutching his throat, trying to gasp for more air he continued, "Fuck man…I didn't do this shit to her. You know me better…than that," he rasped.

And just like that, all of the energy seemed to leave Emmett's body. He collapsed further to the floor, holding his head, sobbing. He started mumbling to himself, "Who would do this? Who would hurt an angel like Bella? Who has she ever hurt?"

Charlie slumped down onto the floor wrapping his arms around his sobbing son's shoulders. Carlisle was checking over Jasper to make sure no damage was really done during the altercation.

My eyes locked on the tear - streaked face of my angel. She was clutching on to Esme so tightly, that I think I saw her wince once.

I slowly eased over to the other side of Bella's bed. Her terrified eyes following me the whole time - like I was a wild beast ready to pounce and she was my innocent prey.

Carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed, I offered my hand slowly to her. She licked her lips, looking at it as though it were a delicious morsel and she was dying to taste it.

Slowly, so as not to startle her, I lifted my hand towards her. Her tiny hand left Esme's arm grabbing on to me, afraid I would pull back at any moment. Her beautiful, brown eyes were still so swollen, but she looked at me so intensely, like she was trying to believe that I was actually there.

It felt like a lifetime since I had last touched her, not just a few days ago. Her cheek bones were still so perfect. Her skin still so soft. As my fingers ghosted down her face, I couldn't help but gather a curl of her hair between my fingers, twirling it, feeling its wonderful texture against my skin.

Bella's hair - a deep mahogany color - had been chopped off by the killer. She had only a few haircuts in her life so her hair was always so long. I loved spending hours just running my fingers through it.

It normally fell to her lower back, just above the delicate curve of her hips. The monster had chopped her hair off till it barely went past her shoulders. I could only imagine it was to show off his "masterpiece." I'm sure he didn't want to have anything in the way of everyone being able to see his craftsmanship. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat - pushing away the thoughts of someone else's hands being on my Bella. I couldn't let that affect how I felt about her in this moment. It was something she had no control over.

She would always be gorgeous to me - no matter the length of her hair.

I gently cupped her cheek, and she let out a soft mewling sound as she snuggled her face into my touch. I couldn't help it any longer. Boyfriend Edward had to have some time with his love. Tears began to roll down my cheeks, my bottom lip trembling.

"I love you, my angel."

It was only a soft whisper, meant really for Bella alone. I wasn't really sure if she heard me at first, but as she threw herself into my arms, I knew she had heard me after all.

"I love you too, Edward," she said as she buried her face into my neck. Her body was shaking in my arms. She let out a small hiccup before a new wave of tears flooded through her. I wanted to be there for her. To take away all of this pain she was feeling. I would have gladly traded places with her if it meant that she would be able to escape this living nightmare she was in.

Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her. I pulled her into my lap, bringing her as close as possible without pulling out her IV or hurting her back. Nuzzling my face into the side of her neck, I breathed deeply the scent that could only be described as pure Bella. Strawberries, no matter what, she always smelled like strawberries.

After she had been examined, and evidence had been taken, I found out my mom had helped her in the shower. She had to wash her hair out three times just to be able to get a brush through it. All of the matted dirt and blood made it almost impossible to run your fingers through it.

If I had been here - if I had known - I would have wanted to do it myself. I love helping Bella wash her hair.

But, I realized from working on too many cases just like this, that had I been here at the time she was brought in - in the condition she was in - that no matter how much we loved one another, she wouldn't have been able to stand me touching her. It would have been too much for her - the thought of another man's hands on her body - even if they were mine. My dad felt very strongly about the law that said, a rape kit had to be performed by a qualified, same gender nurse or doctor as the victim. He never wanted them to feel more violated than they already did, especially by the hospital that was meant to care for them.

Bella needed a woman's touch, my mom's touch, when she first arrived. She had been in too fragile of a state.

The rage I felt bubbling inside me while hearing the details of what happened to her would have made me act the wrong way unintentionally. It would have hurt Bella if my normally gentle grip would have been too tight, or my words to her too clipped. I would have never, ever been unkind to Bella. I'm not sure I've even ever raised my voice to her in all of the years that I've known and loved her.

When I entered her room the first time, I could barely breathe, much less speak, so I was very thankful that she was sleeping at the time. I know Bella. She would have taken that as a sign of rejection. And to have her pull away from me because she felt anything less than pure, unconditional love from me would have sent me over the edge. I would have had to leave the room and destroy something just to allow my pain to ease. But this couldn't be about me right now. Right now, it had to be about Bella. She was hurting and I had to make it better, somehow. This was my job, this was my purpose in life.

I gently kissed her neck several times until I heard soft snoring coming from her. Ah, the sweet relief of pain medicine. She had again passed out but was holding onto the lapel of my jacket with a death grip.

My mom helped me to ease her back onto the bed, still very careful of her back. That would take some time to heal. By the end of it all, I'm sure Bella would be so tired of having had to sleep on her chest.

"She was so worried you wouldn't want to even touch her after all of this," my mother softly said as she brushed back Bella's hair from her face. "She just knew you'd be disgusted to even look at her, much less hold her again like you were just doing."

A strangled sob broke from my chest. I couldn't take hearing this. The tears that had eased off moments ago began to well up again in my eyes, threatening to spill over. "Not touch her? If I could, I'd take every ounce of pain she's endured so far and carry it myself. I'll always want to touch her, mom. I love her. How could she…what was she…seriously…I just….."

My mom cut off my low ranting with a raised hand to stop me. "Edward, she is a woman who has been attacked. She feels, in a lot of ways, that her body isn't sacred anymore. True, she wasn't raped, but she's been touched by someone in very intimate ways, by hands that weren't yours. She was afraid that you would only see that, instead of truly seeing her."

Esme's words hit me like a ton of bricks. I stood up, wiping my face with the back of my sleeve. I was going to catch this son of a bitch that did this to my Bella. I was going to make him pay for ever making her doubt for a second my love and devotion to her.

Leaning back down, so that my face was mere inches from her battered and bruised one, I touched my lips to hers. She mewled softly in her sleep at my touch, which made my heart flutter like a million butterflies were clanging around inside. I was still a comfort to her. I still could offer her support and love.

"I will stop him, my love. And then we are going to spend the rest of our lives together. I'll spend the rest of my days reminding you who adores you. I love you, my angel, for all eternity." Gently, I kissed her lips again, careful not to put too much pressure, afraid of reopening the split in her lip.

"Mom, will you stay with Bella for me, please?" She gave me this look as though to say, "Did you even have to ask?" Tucking Bella's hand gently under the covers, I walked around to the other bedside and wrapped my mom up in a hug. She really was the best and wasn't thanked enough for it, that was obvious. I was going to be sure to change that.

I turned to find Emmett, Jasper, Charlie, and my father all watching the exchange that had taken place between Bella and myself. I grabbed the brown package of information that had been dropped onto Bella's bed. My father had set it there in his rush to get to Jasper when he first came in.

"Let's go. We've got work to do." With that, I strode out of the hospital room, a new determination pouring from me. I was going to rip this bastard apart and then burn the pieces. I just had to find him.

I owed this to the previous four victims. I owed this to their family and loved ones who had to suffer the loss.

I owed this to my Bella.

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_A/N: WOW. Not my longest chapter by far, but sometimes Edward's view is emotionally draining for me to write. One of my reviewers pointed out that they liked how devoted Edward is to Bella. I really want you to get a feel for that and understand how he would do anything for her. Even if it's just to see her smile. Edward and Bella, I truly believe, are soul mates. When you find that in your life never let that go. So few of us actually do._

_English lesson from SyndeyAlice to me: "Too" is used to show the extent of something, like "I am too tired to go to the park." It can also be used in the place of "also," such as: "We are going to the park, too." So if I understand correctly (which I'm sure it hasn't sunk in on the first try) - when using too as compared to, to, if I'm too confused to really write too or to in my sentence then do my best too use also instead. LOL Because if I think about too and to, to much, then I'll start dancing around my chapters, going crazy in a tutu. LOL _


	11. Chapter 11

**Twilight will forever be a wonderful world that only Stephenie Meyer has the rights and complete ownership too….darn my luck! But these original thoughts are all mine, and the voices in my head. So enjoy.**

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_AN: I'm SOO sorry that it's taken so long for me to update. I truly hope that those that have been reading my story are still willing to stick with it even if I'm slow updating. It was a combination of things. _

_First, well I have been having what I'm assuming is my first dose of writers block and I was miserable trying to get some of this out. I think I've done better and several of you agree that chapter 10, so far, has been my best. _

_Second, my beta caught a horrible case of "life decided to grab me by the feet and turn me upside down" with a nagging cough of "crap my computer crashed on me". I think it's a lot like the H1N1 but they haven't come up with a shot for it yet. _

_Don't worry she's getting better though…still love ya SydneyAlice. As long as you tolerate me why wouldn't I? LOL_

_OH and I swear this is it for right now….if you haven't already noticed I have a link up on my profile leading you to a picture of what I think is the best representation of what Bella's tattoo would look like. A WONDERFUL reviewer suggested I do that and I looked high and low for it before deciding that the choice I made was as close as I could get. Check it out…and I hope it's everything you thought it would be._

_**Warning: Some heavier language and suggestive situations are used in this chapter. If you aren't able to handle it, stop and skip till you see the stars mid way for Esme's POV. **_

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?POV

With the help of my new little friend, I escaped from the emergency room – where that nosy ass doctor had actually tried to sic security on me. I started to wander around the hospital floor to floor. I was very careful not to be seen as to suspicious acting. I kept close to the room doors in case I had to slip into one to hide.

I made it to the fourth floor. ICU. Standing just out of view at the nurses' station, I heard two of the women gossiping about a patient. They were going on and on about how she was so pretty and yet she was now scarred for life with a tattoo on her back. How hideous it must look to her. How they didn't know how a person could survive being attacked like that. Attacked! I didn't attack her. I made her more beautiful. My artwork showed the world what a precious gem she really was. These bitches obviously were just jealous of my angel.

I realized then I had hit the jackpot.

Feet. I was mere feet from my angel. Somehow I had to figure out how to get a chance to see her.

The door to room 445 swung open, and out walked that nosy doctor and four other men. I quickly ducked into an empty room, closing the door quietly. Peaking out, I could see the top of the head of that jerk-off Bella called a boyfriend.

So room 445 was the room in which my angel was being kept from me.

All together, the five men had left her room, but I didn't know who else might be with her. So I'd have to wait it out. See who comes and goes. But I would see my angel tonight. I watched as they walked right past me, talking back and forth to one another. I couldn't help but smile at how clever I really was. Some FBI agents they were. I was just a few inches away and they still couldn't catch me.

They weren't really making this much real work or fun at all. Couldn't they at least make this somewhat of a challenge for me?

I carefully exited the room, sneaking over to the nurses' station again, grabbing an ink pen. On my forearm I wrote their names. I had to be able to keep count of everyone and their comings and goings. And I just didn't think the nurses would be too forthcoming with supplies to the guy that actually put one of their patients in their care.

Jasper, Carlisle, Charlie, Emmett and that fucker Edward. I wrote them all down. That meant that there were at least three other people that could be with her at this moment.

_Soon my sweet angel, very soon I can join you again._

I was just about to step out of the room I was in when I saw the two bitches from earlier coming around the corner. The one named Rosalie looked like she could bite the heads off of nails and have them for breakfast. The short little dark haired one, Alice I think they called her, was bawling like a baby. I never could stand when a woman cried. My mom used to cry all the time when my dad would have sex with her. Did it do her any good? No! So I never understood why women thought the waterworks would get them anywhere.

As they walked towards the elevator I quickly wrote down their names on my forearm as well. That left only one more person that I knew of to leave. She was going to be the hard one, or so I thought. It was a matter of minutes and Bella's room door opened and closed softly, the last person I needed out of the way leaving.

_You've got to be kidding me. Could it have really been so simple?_

She headed down the hallway instead of to the elevators. That probably meant she wasn't going to be gone long; probably going to the soda machine or something.

I knew I didn't have much time to spare.

Slipping out of the room I was in, I slowly crept down to Bella's room. I pushed gently on the door, easing my way in. The room was so dimly lit. Just a small bedside lamp was on. But it was enough. I stood there mesmerized. She was beautiful; I could feel myself getting hard just by looking at her.

I could see her shift her legs under the sheets, getting more comfortable. How I wanted to feel them wrapped around me as I slid into her tight little cunt. She was the first person I had ever thought about taking gently. She was my angel, after all, and a virgin. My mouth watered at the thought of taking her virginity from her.

I'd had fucked my fair share of men and women. Most times it was in a bondage club in Seattle. I could fuck them without much need to worry about their discomfort or pain. Sometimes I fucked them dry, without any preparation. That was some of the best kind of friction I had ever felt. The men I had fucked were ok. Mostly they were just fillers till I could find a pussy to climb into. I ran my right hand down the front of the jeans that were restricting the access I wanted to my throbbing cock. My head fell back slightly as I began to touch my raging hard on.

My fingers ached to run through her hair again. But the foot and a half that I had cut off earlier was still in a pony tail on my work station at home. I would enjoy the feel of that on my body for right now till I could have the real thing again. She would look amazing on top of me, riding me. Her perfect tits bouncing as I rammed my cock up in her. I'd shoot my jizz in her till it came oozing down her thighs where I would happily climb down and eat her out till she was raw.

As I inched closer to her bedside I could practically smell her. Strawberries, I loved the smell and taste of a ripe strawberry. Bella smelled as though she needed to be picked and eaten; she was so sweet smelling, I couldn't help but lick my lips at the thought.

I reached my hand out to touch her body. God I could practically feel the heat on my fingertips from her supple skin.

I was about to have my goddess right in my hands again.

"MINE!" I growled, low under my breath.

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Esme's POV

It wasn't long after the boys had left that I decided to get settled in for a long night. It wouldn't have been the first time, with six children, that I had spent a night in a hospital room. Between Emmett's tonsils, Bella's fractured femur, Jasper's cracked collarbone, Alice's appendicitis, Edward's car accident and the incident with Rosalie a few years back; I had logged a combined time of what Carlisle put in for a months work at the hospital.

After checking on Bella one more time, making sure she was tucked in safely, I made my way quietly out to the break room. I could tell this would be a long night. Grabbing a Styrofoam cup I poured myself a large coffee and grabbed several magazines off of the rack at the edge of the room. As much as I loved my husband and what he did for a living, it's true what they say about hospital food. I stared at the vending machine full of sandwiches, fruit cups, chocolaty this and that's. A lot to choose from but nothing looking terribly appetizing. I opted for two fruit cups, and gave in to the temptation of the chocolate Hostess cupcakes.

Collecting my stash of goodies and supplies I slowly walked back toward Bella's room. As I neared, I noticed that the door I was sure I had closed was now slightly ajar.

"Jackie," I said carefully laying my goodies on the countertop. "Did someone go to check on Bella?"

"Not that I know of Mrs. Cullen," she said before looking back down at Bella's chart. "She's not set for any more tests or blood work till the morning."

I shrugged, picked my stuff back up, heading for her door. Maybe one of the girls or guys decided to come back. It wouldn't surprise me if Emmett came back to sit with her. The night she spent in the hospital with a fractured femur he was practically curled up at the foot of her bed almost all night.

Pushing the door open I called softly, "Em, did you decide to spend the night with us tonight?"

But it wasn't Emmett standing there. I wasn't sure who it was. His back was turned to me, his left hand was on the railing of Bella's bed. His right hand was in the front of him where I couldn't see it.

I set my things down on the table and walked around to the other side of her bed to get a better look at him. "Are you a friend of Bella's?" I asked.

"You could say that," a small smile appeared on his face when he said that. It made a shiver run down my spine. Warning bells were going off in my head telling me to get rid of this guy. Something about him just wasn't right.

"Well, I apologize. But I hope you will understand that this probably isn't a good time for Bella to be having visitors."

He turned and looked at me with an ice cold stare. It was the kind of look someone gave you when they were debating on whether to pounce on you or let you live. Nothing about this guy made me feel comfortable. I just wanted him to leave, now.

My hand slid down next to Bella. I knew the nurses call button was clipped to her sheets near her head in case she needed it. I was trying to reach for it without drawing any attention in case this guy's intentions really were malicious. Finding it, I began frantically pressing the silent alarm, begging for someone to come through that door.

Finally, Jackie and a male orderly came through the door. I gave a slight sigh seeing them.

"Oh, Jackie. Are you here to take Bella for those tests you mentioned earlier?" I looked at Jackie giving her a weak smile. I could only hope she would catch this and play along.

After a moment she answered. "Yes Mrs. Cullen. It shouldn't take too long. I know you don't like Bella's sleep to be disrupted."

As Jackie and the orderly slowly made their way over to the bed, pretending to realign sheets and looking at her IV but never really moving her - I motioned towards the door to the man.

"I hope you understand? Maybe drop by another time? I could tell her you stopped by, what was your name again?" I knew I was hinting for more information, but I had to gather all of the details I could so that I could give them to Edward when I called him – which would be immediately.

"I didn't actually say, but it's Laurent. She teaches my son in her kindergarten class." And with that he turned and slowly walked out the door.

Jackie reached over to take my hand, giving it a slight squeeze. She knew that something wasn't right for me to have pushed the call button as much as I did. I gave her a slight smile as I picked up my cell phone to make a call I was deeply worried about making. I had to call Edward and explain everything that just happened. Knowing my son he was not going to be happy at all.

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_AN: Ok so I know I said before that I would never stick anyone's POV with the killer's but I had to make an exception in this case. The Killer's POV had to be short because I would never torture Bella like that with him having an open window wide enough to do more to her than just stare at her…..at least for now._

_And Esme was my hero in this chapter. I gotta have someone come save the day. And I figure it's about time that the women get a chance instead of it always being our gallant heroes, the guys. I really hope it was worth the wait and that I haven't lost any readers because of the delay. Believe me I'll cry if I have. Thank you to those faithful ones who are sticking with me. I feel blessed to have you reading this. And I hope you are enjoying it. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Twilight isn't mine…oh how I wish it were though.**

_AN: Thank you so much to my beta SydneyAlice for helping me to get out yet another chapter in such a short period of time. She gives some of the best advice when I need it._

_To all of my readers…thank you for all of the encouragement and the wonderful reviews you've given me. I never expected to get such thoughtful and thought provoking reviews. And all of the alerts of favorite story, author etc. are so exciting._

_I'll keep this brief….I hope you enjoy the chapter. I LOVE writing Edward's POV._

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EPOV

Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle and I had all returned to headquarters in Seattle just an hour ago. I was putting a rush order on the new pictures to be developed while Emmett stalked the room like a caged lion, constantly running his hand through his hair, deep in thought. Funny, it seems my little habit is rubbing off on all of my family. Bella even does it.

Jasper was sitting at the conference table, sipping at the hot tea that my dad had gotten him when we arrived. He said it would help with any soreness that he might experience from Emmett's earlier vice grip on his throat.

That moment was so intense. I know it was just instinct to speak what you were thinking, but I'm not sure he really even thought before he spoke to be honest. Who in their right minds admits to knowing exactly where something comes from, when you are in the same room with a 210lb, muscle bound, FBI agent, big brother of the latest assault victim?

I shook my head. I loved my brother, but clearly Jasper wasn't thinking with a full deck right then. Emmett's reaction was tame in my opinion. Personally, I would have probably started whaling on the guy not really even allowing him to speak and explain.

Thankfully, either Emmett was giving him the benefit of the doubt, or wasn't thinking as quickly. Either way, I'm thankful Charlie figured a way to get him to put Jasper down. Don't get me wrong, Jasper is a tough guy. When you work in the business he does, it helps not to come off looking like a wimp. I've seen him stand up to the biggest biker that walked through his door and stand him down if needed.

But don't face big brothers protecting their little sisters. Emmett has always had a fierce need to protect Bella - one I think he's felt since birth. He said he was trying to make up for taking all the room in the womb. Emmett was born 7 pounds 10 ounces, while Bella was only born at 5 pounds 2 ounces. She was fully developed with no problems, but he still felt badly that he had "hogged all the space and apparently the food," as he put it. Sometimes Emmett's line of thinking just made you laugh.

Bella has been like a little sister to all of my brothers and sisters for years. She's a part of our family, and to see her hurting like she was, tore at my heart.

It wasn't just love for Bella that I've felt for so many years. I adored her for almost a decade. As kids, I'd hang on every word Bella would say, gobbling it up in my mind, just loving the fact that she was spending time with me. I always felt like a big nerd because I was really good in school, and until seventh grade I had glasses. So I was certain that there was no way Bella would have returned the feelings I had for her. Boy, was I surprised when she proclaimed her equal love for me.

Bella was never really a girly girl. She liked hanging out with Rose and Alice, and had her sleep over nights. But mostly she liked hanging out with us boys.

Emmett, the fierce protector, Jasper the loyal side kick ready to through in the one liners to make her giggle, and me. The person who worshiped the ground she walked on. I was always commenting on how pretty she was, how smart she was. Sometimes I think I did it just to see her blush. To this day I still pour the compliments on. Not in a false or fake way by any means; but I do it lovingly so that she's constantly reminded of my devotion to her.

There was no doubt in my mind that we would be married soon. I just had to wait for the right time. I had been carrying the ring - that I had custom made - around in my pocket for almost three months now. It never seemed like the perfect time or setting. And now really wasn't the right time. She and I both had enough on our plates to deal with at the moment. Marriage, no matter how much I wanted to be her husband, would have to wait a little while longer.

One part of our relationship on which we didn't have to wait was living together. Looking at houses all this year had been harder than we had originally thought. When we had finally decided that we wanted to live together, we knew we had to break it to Charlie. He loved me like a son, and he was fine with us sleeping together - because that really is all we did - under his roof on weekends when I could make it home. But having a home of our very own, living our lives together on a daily basis; well I figured it would just all be too much for him to take. He actually took it very well, even exclaiming, "I was wondering what was taking you both so long," which happily surprised us both.

Eventually, after much searching, we found a home that met all of our demands and it was beautiful. A bidding war unfortunately started not long after we found it - between us and another couple looking to move into the area. But I was confidant. I didn't tell Bella this, but I told our realtor that the sky was the limit. I had the money from my trust fund, which Bella refused to touch, to put any extra money towards the end total. Bella loved this house. She even had it all laid out in her mind where everything would go. I was not about to let it slip through my fingers.

It was only a couple of miles outside of town, still within the Forks zip code. It put me about 45 minutes closer to work, meaning with good traffic I would be driving back and forth about an hour and ten minutes every day - compared to the two hour commute I currently had. It was a small price to pay for Bella's happiness. Especially now, I was going to make sure all of the happiness she could stand was poured on to her. She was going to need it in the coming months as she really started to deal with the trauma of the attack.

I burst through the swinging doors carrying the large print outs of the pictures from Bella's case. I dropped them on the table in front of Jasper as Emmett grabbed the chair on the other side of the table.

"Ok. Now tell me how did you know this was your tattoo?" When I worked, I rarely beat around the bush. I figured direct questions always got the best results, so why bother with anything less.

Coughing a little to clear his throat, which apparently was still pretty scratchy from earlier, Jasper explained. "The fucker apparently didn't realize he had carved my design initials into it. He either didn't realize they were there, or if he did, didn't care enough to take them out. Every tattoo that I create, that comes from an original thought of mine, I hide my initials in the design somewhere. Call it a possessive quirk." He pointed out to me the places around the tattoo that held his initials. "If you didn't know what you were looking for you'd never see them."

I took the magnifying glass from him that he had picked up earlier. I looked at the details of the tattoo more closely, trying not focus on the fact that they were on Bella's back. If I stopped to focus on the beautiful cream-colored skin below it I would start to lose it. The small freckles that danced across her shoulder blades from the summer she fell asleep while reading outside on my parents deck. The tiny bikini that Rose had forced her to wear – which didn't offer much cover at all. Of course, I couldn't really complain about that. The tiny scar on her hip that no one would ever notice if they didn't know her body like I did – when she fell on the sidewalk outside her house one winter. "Ice really doesn't help the uncoordinated," she had laughed as I helped her to her feet.

No. I had to look at this photo as just another piece of evidence. I couldn't stop to look at what it really was. A reminder that I had failed the love of my life. Failed to protect her. Failed to keep her safe from all harms. A reminder that she would live with for the rest of her life. I willed the tears away that had started to form in my eyes as Jasper's voice broke through my thoughts.

"My shop was broken into about two months ago. I filed a report with Charlie and everything. But the only thing taken was my stencil book. I had hundreds in it. Some originals, some generic, but this one was in there. We couldn't figure out why someone would take my book. It didn't really bother me that much at the time - I still had everything saved on file on my computer. I guess now we know why he took it though," he gave a defeated sigh.

After a moment of thinking I got up and went to the white board hanging from the wall and began laying out a timeline of the events as they happened. Bella leaving school. Bella being taken. Bella escaping. Bella showing up at the hospital. Leaving looming spaces in between each item so as to fill in details, I hoped, later.

Emmett got up too, walking over to the board and pointing at certain parts of the timeline, adding small notes and details that we already knew.

"Guys." I could hear Jasper call softly, motioning with his hand for us to come there.

I was finishing up some notes that Emmett had mentioned, clipping the top back on the marker when Jasper more or less shouted, "GUYS!" This really drew my attention, as Jasper rarely ever yelled at all. Emmett and I both turned to look at Jasper waiting for him to continue.

"He didn't finish. That's why he wasn't there when Bella got away; he didn't finish the tattoo."

"What do you mean he didn't finish the tattoo?"

_How could that thing not be finished?_

Emmett and I gathered close around Jasper as he began to point out the details of what he had meant.

"See here, and here," he pointed to the lower part of the wings. "They aren't quite as dark as the rest of her back, and there is no gold coloring to it. The bottom part of the wings should have a dark gold shading to them. It's spotty instead of being full lines."

I sat down in the chair beside him, running a hand down my face trying to wipe away the exhaustion I could feel setting in.

"So you are telling me that he ran out of ink?" I couldn't keep the exasperated tone out of my voice. "The first mistake this guy makes in months of tracking him, and it's not even one I can do anything with."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'm just telling you what I see. But hey, it's a great thing, right? If he had enough supplies he would have finished. And there wouldn't have been any time for Bella to have made her escape. So we have to look at it as a good thing, right?"

The guilt filled my chest once again, painfully this time. I didn't automatically look at it that way. It took someone pointing it out to me for me to even see the positive side. My angel had been given, by the grace of God, a small window of opportunity due to this asshole's poor planning. She got away during this time, and I was going to hold on to that, thanking God every night she was given that opportunity.

If I even allowed my mind to settle on the thought of Bella not being in this world with me, I'd probably fall into a full blown panic attack. My past, present, and future all revolved around having Bella as my soul mate. Anything less than that I knew I'd never survive.

Emmett's booming voice filled the small room, "Wait, so if he left her alone, not long after he ran out of ink, isn't it safe to assume that he went out to get more supplies to finish it?"

The hopeful look on his face was infectious. I could feel the corners of my mouth turning up into a grin at my - proven yet once again - brilliant partner. Clapping him on the back I stood at the white board again. Yes, if he ran out of supplies, and left not long after this, it had to have meant that he was going out to get more. There was his mistake. That was the dangling piece of thread I needed to start pulling on, to unwrap this madness he was causing.

"Ok, first we need to get a list of tattoo shops within a 100 mile radius that would sell ink. Jasper! What kind of ink would we be looking for? You said this was a special tattoo. Not just plain colors. Is the gold used a special color, too?" my voice was dripping with hope. I looked at Jasper, begging him with my eyes not to take my one lead away from me.

"Yes, it's called Golden Illusion. It only comes in four ounce containers and it's about $500 a pop. It's not cheap and rarely used. Most tattoo parlors I know don't even carry it because it jacks up the price of the finished tattoo about a $100 dollars just for that one color."

"Emmett," I turned to find his chair was empty, but I could hear the tapping of his fingers already on the keys of the laptop at his desk.

"Once we are able to figure out what places would have this kind of ink available then we can start questioning the owners. If this color is as rare as you say it is, they hopefully will remember their customers."

Emmett came rushing back into the conference room carrying his open laptop. "I've got it. There are only three shops within 100 miles of Forks that carry that color. All three of them are within an hour's drive of where Rose and Alice found Bella. It's a reasonable distance if he assumed he had knocked Bella out long enough."

As I was listening to Emmett explain his findings, my phone started to ring. The ring tone that normally brought a huge smile to my face now caused my stomach to drop.

"Answer it. Keep him on the line as long as you can." Emmett said before rushing back over to his laptop and opening up another screen.

"Edward Cullen, " I answered.

"Now is that how you would normally speak to your beloved Bella?" I could hear the sneer in his voice as he said the word "beloved."

"No. Normally I would greet her with a much more loving greeting. But since I know she doesn't have her cell phone anymore, I'm not exactly going to greet anyone using this phone with the same love and respect that I give to her."

I could hear him chuckle. _Keep thinking I'm funny mother-fucker, another 50 seconds and I'll have a GPS location pinning you down._

My hand was gripping the leather chair in front of me so tightly that my palm was starting to sweat.

"Twenty seconds," Emmett whispered to me.

"She is beautiful. The blue of the blanket she was wrapped up in really is her color."

I couldn't speak. My mouth felt like I had just swallowed the Sahara. How would he know about the blue blanket that my mother had draped over her at the hospital unless…

As I gave a small gasp, I knew Emmett had worked it out, too.

He was at the hospital.

"Ah, so you aren't quite as slow as I thought you were. You've solved the mystery of how I knew she had a blue blanket wrapped around her.

"YOU MOTHER-FUCKER IF YOU TOUCH HER I WILL RIP YOU APART ONE PIECE AT A TIME!" I growled into my phone

"Such language! You really should learn to control your temper."

I could see Emmett was grabbing the office phone to call out. I could only hope it was to the Forks police and to Charlie. We were too far away right now to be of any good. Someone had to get to my Bella. Oh, God, my mind flashed to my mom. We had left her there to watch over Bella. If this asshole saw Bella surely he had seen my mom, too.

"You do realize," my voice coming out in a low guttural tone, "that I will stop at nothing to find you. And one way or another, by either the laws hands or by mine, I will finish you."

"Do you really think you are in the place to threaten me?" he said almost sweetly.

"Oh, you'll find that I don't make threats. This is a promise. I will have your head for what you did." My grip on my phone was so tight I thought I heard something crack.

As the line went dead all I could hear was his laughing.

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_AN: So does that tell you what happened to Bella's phone? The killer needed it for just a little longer in order to torture Edward with it. It's his thing. He likes this, it's a game to him and Edward and Bella are his favorite players. It gets much more intense from here on out. Hope you are all ready for it. _


	13. Chapter 13

**Twilight is amazing, but sadly I don't own it. Stephenie Meyer does….lucky lady. Oh to have my own Edward Cullen one day. (SIGH)**

_Hope you enjoy it!_

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BPOV

I awoke, startled from my sleep. Ever since I had arrived at the hospital, the little deep sleep that I had been getting seemed to always be interrupted by a nightmare.

My back was killing me, and I so desperately wanted to scratch it. I tried my best to turn over but every time I began, I would touch the bed and pain would rocket down my spine. Taking small gasps of air I called out into my dimly lit room.

"Edward, Esme, Daddy? I heard Esme's soft voice whispering frantically nearby before her small hands touched my forearms.

"Sweetheart, what do you need?" She brushed my hair back so she could see my face. I was already trying to push up on my knees, hoping that would allow me to turn over. I was tired of lying down; I wanted to sit up.

"I'm tired of lying down. Will you help me sit up for a little while, please?"

Carefully she helped me ease into a sitting position. I had to sit Indian style - with my legs stretched out I would have to lean my back against the pillows, and it couldn't take the pressure just yet.

After I got situated I couldn't hold back the questions any longer. I needed to know what was going on.

"Esme, where is Edward, Emmett and Dad?"

"Edward and Emmett are on their way back over here. Your dad is back at work. He's setting up a spare office so that Edward and Emmett can stay local instead of running back and forth to Seattle all the time."

Something just didn't sound right when she said that. Esme was like me; she was never very good at hiding it when something was wrong. The look on her face just seemed to be begging for Edward to get here before I started compounding her with questions she wasn't able or ready to answer. I knew that meant I had only a small window of opportunity to get her to spill what she knew before Edward arrived.

I love Edward. He is my life. But like Emmett, his need to protect me often meant leaving me in the dark about things. Sometimes that left me feeling so frustrated, and I was already feeling so out of control. I needed to know what was going on.

"Esme, who were you talking to right before I called you?"

"Oh, it was just Edward. I was making sure he was on his way back home."

"How long has he been gone?" I knew picking at the edges of her story was a little sneaky, but sometimes with Esme, you had to use a little subterfuge to get to the whole truth.

"Oh, about three hours," she said as she looked down at her nails picking at the edges - a nervous habit I noticed she had when she was leaving something out.

"So he went to Seattle, only to turn right back around and come home? That doesn't sound like him. Did something happen? Is he ok?" The worry in my voice was growing.

Esme reached for my hand as she came to sit on the side of my bed, trying to calm my fears quickly. "Sweetie, don't worry about a thing. Edward and Emmett are both fine. They both agreed that being so far from you is just not where they want to be right now. So the bureau said that it was fine to work out of the police station for the time being."

I sighed, relieved that nothing had happened to either of them to cause this change in routine. I didn't think I could take something new happening right now.

Just as I was about to continue to grill Esme for more information she surprised me with a question instead.

"Bella, do you know someone name Laurent?" The look on her face worried me. Normally, Esme was a calm, collected person. But now, as she waited for my answer, she started to bite on her bottom lip. My nervous habit was wearing off on her, and that meant something was wrong.

"Laurent? Yes. I had a child this year in my class - Kevin. His father was named Laurent. He's French, I think. Tall, black man, with dreads, very well spoken and kind. Nice man."

Esme's hand came up to cover her mouth. Her eyes widened as though she just came up with an answer to a riddle that had been puzzling her for a while. But before I could delve into why she was asking there was a knock at my room door. I was really worried now as Esme nearly jumped completely off the bed, so startled by the knock, breaking her from her thoughts.

I pulled the covers further up around me. I hated hospitals and having visitors just made me nervous. This wasn't like home; people could come and go as they pleased pretty much here. You never really had a total sense of privacy.

But the face that appeared from around the door made me feel much more at ease. It was my Dad.

_Wait, didn't Esme just say that he was at work setting up a spare office for Edward and Emmett? Why would he be here, then? I've got to get some answers._

I bit my lip anxiously. Dad would be much harder to get information out of than Esme. He always knew when I was playing good cop, bad cop and would know how to avoid my questions. He wasn't the Chief of Police just for his good looks. I looked towards Esme who gave a quiet sigh; I'm sure she thought I didn't notice.

_She's gotten her reprieve from my questions for now._

"Hey, Bells. How are you feeling?"

I noticed when he came in, he wasn't talking directly to me, but rather surveying my room as he spoke. What was going on? I didn't even get a chance to say anything to him before I had yet another visitor.

_What was this grand central station? Why all the commotion all of a sudden?_

Carlisle came in, the worried look on his face was apparent. He rushed to Esme's side, holding her face tenderly in his hands. He looked deeply into her eyes as if he would be able to diagnose any problem just by staring at her long enough. After he saw whatever he needed to see he pulled her into his arms for a long hug. It looked like a hug of reassurance, but who was reassuring who I wasn't sure.

As my room door kept opening and closing with the incoming traffic, I could barely hear the AP system announcing that the hospital was going on full lock down.

_Full lock down. What the heck?_

I tried my best to be strong at that moment, but my resolve was wavering. I pulled my covers up around my shoulders. I just wanted Edward. Everyone that was with me right now I loved dearly, but it was Edward that always made me feel completely safe. I wanted to be able to see him, if nothing else.

Again, the door to my room swung open. This time it was Alice, followed by Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. Ok, this was really starting to cause me to panic. Why were they all here? What was going on? Where was Edward?

Alice and Rosalie came to sit down in the chairs on one side of my bed. Looking around at all the grim faces was disheartening. I knew it. Something was up and everyone was here to gang up on me when they told me. They did this, well we did this, all the time. We shared everything good and bad as a family. If something happened, we always depended on our close family unit to be able to give enough support, one to the other, to make it through whatever it was coming our way.

They had something to tell me and it wasn't going to be good.

_Please, dear God, don't let it be about Edward. I don't think I can handle it if something has happened to him._

Just as the tears were starting to form in my eyes, threatening to spill over at what I assumed would be bad news, my angel walked slowly through the door.

I've always loved the way that Edward looked. All through high school he would have girls throwing themselves at him because of how handsome he was. I couldn't really blame them. I mean, look at the man.

After he hit puberty it was like little boy Edward was transformed into Greek god Edward. The mess of bronze hair that seemed to stick out everywhere transformed into what Emmett liked to call "just had sex" hair. Edward ditched what he called the nerdy glasses for contacts, and I swear the green of his eyes turned up a full volume. They went from grass green to emerald. I even caught myself staring at them, getting lost in their sparkle, from time to time. I would tease him telling him that he would dazzle me, without even knowing it, just by looking at me.

Edward, like Jasper and Emmett, was very into sports. His choice of sports, unlike my other two guys, was swimming and baseball. Let's just say after freshman year the swim meet attendance tripled. Edward in a Speedo was drool worthy. I won't lie, I knew exactly what the girls saw in him. From head to toe he was a sight to see; his long muscular legs with just a dusting of dirty blonde hair, the stomach that went from a little boy that ate cheeseburgers every Saturday night to a six pack seemingly overnight. The not overly muscular arms that just made you ache to be held by them. I knew he had to stretch before his swims; it was a must so that he didn't tense up and hurt himself in the water - but I teased him once saying he would do it longer because he knew I was watching. He never denied it, just gave me that shy grin.

Oh his grin; I loved it so much. Ever since we were children he could flash that crooked grin at me and my heart would just start to fly. It always felt like a special smile only for me. And when he would duck his head, run his hand through his messy hair, and then shyly look up at you through his thick, dark, lashes with that sexy grin - well let's just say he won many an argument without even saying a word.

Girls were putty in his hands, but he never took advantage of that. Don't ask me why - I still ask myself this question even to this day - but he was utterly and completely devoted to me. And I felt the same way with him. We were inseparable. As Forest Gump would say we were like peas and carrots. There was never really just Edward, or just Bella, it was always Edward and Bella. Where one was, the other was not far behind.

This never did sit well with the female population at Forks High. They always felt I had some unfair advantage when it came to Edward. Just the mention of his name from my lips and he was at my side. It wasn't obedience; he wasn't a dog. No, he was loyal, faithful, and devoted. He was my best friend in this entire world. And one day I was going to share the rest of my life with him, I was certain of that.

But right now, the man standing in my hospital room didn't look anything like my devastatingly handsome Edward. No, the Edward that now stood at my door looking at me was totally different. He looked….defeated. And that look scared me. Edward succeeded at just about everything he ever did. And to see this look on his face now sent a shiver down my spine. Something was terribly wrong.

He walked slowly over to Emmett, who had been whispering quietly with my Dad by the window, passing a plastic baggie to him before turning back to me. The stress of the past 48 hours was so evident on his face and body. All I wanted to do was just touch it all and make it disappear. The dark circles under his eyes were such a disturbing contrast to his normally beautifully, pale skin - that now only seemed to be a pasty white. His hair that I loved to run my fingers through was sticking up everywhere with very little life, as though it just fell there. I could only imagine what his back and shoulders must feel like right now. Tied up in knots, I'm sure. Edward tended to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders at times.

I noticed the room turned eerily quiet as Edward came and slowly sat at the edge of my bed. My eyes were locked with his the entire time. I just couldn't drag my attention away from him whenever he was in the room. Gingerly, he took my hand in his, being very careful of the several cuts, scrapes and broken nails. Edward always had a habit throughout the years of kissing my boo-boo's, as he would call it. Slowly, he kissed each of my fingertips before kissing the palm of my hand, closing his eyes as he drank in the smell of my skin. The pads of my fingers dragged softly along his jaw, and I could feel the stubble of a day's growth of beard had grown. He held my hand to his mouth, pressing my palm against his lips, breathing slowly in several times before opening his eyes.

What came out of his mouth next I'm not sure anyone could ever be ready to hear. But I did the best I could to brace myself. Unconsciously, I realized I had grabbed Alice's hand with my free one. She was holding Rosalie's, who was holding Emmett's, holding Charlie's, holding Esme's, holding Carlisle's, holding Jasper's. Jasper had his hand on Edward's shoulder as though lending him all the courage and support he could. To anyone from the outside looking in, you'd swear we were about to break out into a song of Koombya.

Tears started to well up in my eyes. Crying, it seemed all I had been doing since I got here was cry. I hated crying. I felt so weak when I cried, and all of my family - except for me - was always so brave and confident. Why couldn't I be more like them, even just a little bit?

Edward placed my hand back in my lap as he scooted a little closer to me. Reaching up he cupped my cheek in his hand, gently stroking my jaw line with his fingers. If I weren't so worried at the moment I would have been purring with contentment at his touch. He licked his lips, my attention momentarily drawn from his lifeless eyes.

"Bella, I have to tell you something. And it's going to be hard for you to hear."

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_AN: Not as happy with this chapter as I have felt about past chapters. Don't know what's really wrong, it just didn't flow as easily as I hoped it would. But I hope you'll forgive me if it's just a so-so chapter. _

_Thank you again to SydneyAlice for the reviewing…I do deeply appreciate it even if I bug the crap out of you. _

_To my terrific reviewers, to many specific ones to name them all, truly your reviews most times crack me up. I love them. I'll catch myself busting out loud laughing at one during work if I'm not careful. You guys are just too much but forever great. Thank you for reading this story._

_Oh and to those of you who pointed out that there was no guard at the door of Bella's room….well first thing….the story wouldn't be nearly as suspenseful if the Killer didn't have a little of his own "fun" along the way. And torturing Edward and Bella even in small ways is how he gets his kicks. But don't condemn Edward just yet about the guard…that will be explained very soon. And I hope it is resolved to your liking. _


	14. Chapter 14

**Twilight….all Stephenie Meyer's…..darn the luck.**

_AN: Ok so first THANK YOU for the amazing reviews. You guys sure know how to get to the heart of a girl and those reviews for the last chapter were so great. I was a bit worried about it not flowing from Bella right. Several of you pointed out that Edward "left Bella alone at the hospital", well I hope this explains better what happened….and you forgive our poor Edward….it wasn't REALLY his fault. _

_**The song at the end of this chapter belongs to the wonderful, and ever talented Mr. Phil Collins.**_

_It's one of my absolute favorite songs coming from one of my FAVORITE movies…even if it is a cartoon. So I hope you enjoy it and feel it's appropriate. As all of you know I love to show the tenderness and true devotion Edward feels for Bella and I think that song really does so. _

_Several of you are making guess about the Killer. All I can say is GREAT guesses but I ain't spilling nothing just yet. LOL. But keep them coming…I love them. _

_So…..after much talk….I hope you enjoy chapter 14._

_WARNING: I hate that my wonderful Edward uses harsh language but at times it really is necessary….I hope you understand?_

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EPOV

When I first arrived back at Forks Hospital I swear I felt like I was going to destroy everything in my path. The two hour drive from Seattle took an hour and fifteen minutes. I even had the lights running; no one was going to stop me. No one was guarding her room. I was boiling mad, but I was mad at myself. I fucked up. I let my emotions cloud my judgment. I should have stayed instead of placing another agent at her door.

_Officer training 101 Cullen. Never leave a victim unattended. No matter what. And never leave them with an agent you don't trust completely. _

I thought I could trust the agent I had placed outside Bella's door. Ok, so he had only been on the job for two years, but he had worked with me on cases before. _He knew how important Bella and her safety was to me….right? _I talked about her constantly. Everyone at the bureau knew how deeply I loved her. I am going to fucking marry her, for Christ's sake.

Every time that I would slam my hand against the steering wheel I would catch Emmett looking at me out of the corner of my eye. He was not normally a nervous passenger - as speed was a very addictive thing for him - but my need to get to Bella as soon as possible was scaring the shit out of him. I took corners much too fast to stay in my own lane and breezed through several red lights without really even slowing much.

As I raced upstairs to the fourth floor, with my father and brothers on my heels, I couldn't help but wonder how much they blamed me too for all these mistakes. I was a seasoned veteran at my job. And I forgot the most basic of rules. I was going to severely hurt - if not kill - Beckley when I got my hands on him. My father had called to the hospital on the way back to find out where the agent that was supposed to be at Bella's door actually was at the time. When I found out what he had been doing - I knew from the churning in my stomach that I'd be popping antacids before morning if I didn't calm down.

As I burst through the doors I raced forward grabbing Beckley - the agent I had assigned to Bella's room- by the shirt collar, slamming him against the wall. "You fucking went to flirt with a nurse? Are you out of your goddamn mind?" I was seething. "What in hell were you thinking?" I slammed him again against the wall. His only response was to start stuttering out "good reasons" for his actions. I didn't give a shit. I gave him a job to do, and because he didn't do what I clearly instructed him to, it could have had a disastrous outcome.

"My mother was in that room. Bella was probably still asleep at the time that animal entered. She wouldn't even have had a chance to defend herself, much less scream." I was beyond livid.

All of a sudden a hand was on my shoulder and my head snapped in that direction. I was ready to bite off the head of whomever that fucking hand belonged to. But the normally calming eyes of my father were now glaring back at me. "Remember who you are, Edward. Remember who you are." I allowed his words to sink into my jumbled brain.

_I'm a Cullen._ That may not mean a lot to some but that meant the world to me.

I took a deep breath, relaxing my grip on Beckley's shirt.

Jackie, a nurse from the station in front of us, watched as I visibly relaxed before calling my name and asking me to come over to her desk. I just wanted to see my Bella, to make sure she was alright with my own eyes, but she looked worried so I told my family to go on in without me as I would only be a minute.

I dismissed Beckley, trying hard not to let my anger boil over again.

Walking slowly over to the desk, I waited for Jackie to explain why she called me over. I noticed her line of vision shifting from my face slowly down to the countertop in front of her.

There, sitting all by itself, was Bella's pale pink phone I had gotten her last Christmas. "I've not let anyone come near it since HE dropped it off. And no one's touched it." Her eyes cast a look telling me she didn't have to explain who "HE" was. I reached into my jacket pocket and retrieved the extra pair of latex gloves and evidence baggie that I kept there.

Picking the phone up very gently so as not to disturb any evidence I slid it carefully in the baggie. After making sure the bag was secure with the red evidence tape, I addressed Jackie again.

"Can you describe the man that left this?"

She looked at me seriously before responding, "That is one face I'll never forget. He even smiled at me after he hung up the phone. He was laughing at someone on the other end. His laugh, it made my skin crawl."

I braced myself against the countertop, breathing deeply to calm myself down. Bella didn't need to see me like this. I had to be strong right now. And to keep her safe, I had to admit my failures.

_Maybe it's better you aren't married. You can't protect her as your girlfriend, so there's no way you'd do a better job at it as her husband._

I shook my head of the thought. No. Bella loved me, and I loved her. I would do better. He wasn't going to get close to her again. I would make sure she had someone with her at all times. If it wasn't me by her side, then I'd have a permanent guard on her at all times - even if I had to hire one from a private security detail. She'll hate it, but I'll make sure she understands it's for her safety and my sanity.

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As I sat on the edge of Bella's bed thinking over the last fifteen minutes, I couldn't help the overwhelmed feeling that suddenly hit me. I think I was developing a permanent hunch from the weight I was carrying around on my shoulders.

As I placed my hand against Bella's cheek, I couldn't help but stroke her jaw line. She could always read me so well, and could tell I had something bad I had to tell her. Her skin was already so cold to the touch. My need to wrap her up warm in my arms was almost overwhelming. I couldn't stand the terror I saw flash in her eyes when I'd admitted I had something to tell her.

But I had to tell her. If she had been any other witness or victim in a case I was handling I would have told them, so I had to tell Bella. Often times, knowing things like this is exactly what kept people alive. Besides, I knew Bella too well. She would have picked at every single member of this family till she got the information she was after. So I might as well be up front and honest with her from the beginning.

My decision however caused a bit of division in the ranks. Charlie and Carlisle agreed with me completely. They had faith that Bella was not only strong enough to handle the truth, but that she had every right to know, as well. It wasn't fair to keep her in the dark about her own life. Emmett, however, was a completely different story. He didn't see the need to cause her any more undue stress.

"Hasn't she been through enough already? Does she really need to know that the maniac that did this was within breathing distance of her?"

_Hasn't she been through enough? _

The thought ran through my head even now. Even when I had resolved to tell her the whole truth about her case and the recent chain of events, I still had a moment of doubt, wondering if I was making the right decision.

Jasper's squeeze to my shoulder told me that if I changed my mind right then and there the whole family would still be behind my decision. But I couldn't help but feel I had already come too far to back out now.

Bella allowed my left hand to settle gently on her hip as my right hand continued to rub soothing circles on her cheek.

"Bella, I don't know how to say this to you any other way than just straight out. But know this. No matter what, we will deal with this together. I will keep you safe. I swear it to you."

Her hands had found their way to my body during my little disclaimer. I could tell from her trembling, as she gripped my forearm and thigh, that she was doing everything she could to brace herself for the worst.

"Bella, about an hour ago you had a visitor. We believe it was the man who attacked you."

The sheer terror that sprang to her eyes was impossible to miss. Her bottom lip began to tremble and her eyes immediately filled with tears. As they began to fall down her cheeks, I could hear her breathing speeding up.

"What?" She gasped, barely able to get the words out. Her chest was heaving now, the tears falling faster, soaking the top of her hospital gown. I barely noticed my father quickly exiting the room as I scooped Bella into my arms.

Crossing her arms over her chest with my own, I pressed her into my body as much as I thought she could stand. I suspected she was still in pain, but she seemed unaffected by the pressure I applied as I pressed her back against my chest. She was having a panic attack, and I had to calm her down.

I buried my face in her neck, leaving a trail of kisses against her skin as I began to speak to her. "Breathe, Bella. Breathe for me, baby."

As I held her confined against my chest, my Dad had rushed back into the room carrying a syringe. I might not have a medical degree, but I was positive it would be loaded with a sedative.

I held my hand outright to stop my Father from proceeding. "No, Dad, please. She's got enough drugs in her system right now. Let us try to stop this naturally first."

He looked at me for a moment, gauging the situation. "Alright, but if you two can't get it under control in a few minutes I won't have any other choice, Edward. She's been under too much strain as it is. I don't want her blood pressure to skyrocket."

I knew he was right. Bella's body had taken so much of a beating in the past few hours. I had to calm her down. We could do this, we could do this together. We are a team. Nothing stood a chance of defeating Team Cullen.

I nuzzled my face into her neck again, murmuring softly, "Bella, love. You've got to listen to me. Breathe for me, Bella. Feel my chest pressed against you. Feel my breaths. Breathe with me. Slowly baby, slowly. In…and out. In…and out."

Little by little her chest stopped rising and falling with such force. Her head began to lull to the side resting against mine. I loosened my grip on her body as she intertwined our fingers. I could tell from the sound of her voice that any energy she once had was now completely drained.

As her breathing completely evened out, she whispered softly to me before passing out, "Don't leave me Edward."

And I never would. I couldn't even if I wanted to. Every time I did I left my heart with her. I'd never survive, nor would I want to, if she were taken from me.

I eased Bella back down onto the bed. Even in her sleep she knew when I was beginning to move too far away from her. Her tiny hands began to claw desperately onto me, trying to find a way to keep me close.

Alice and Rose helped me move Bella to one side of the bed so that I could scoot in beside her. Jasper grabbed my shoes, taking them off and depositing them beside the bed side table before helping me out of my jacket so that I could be more comfortable.

My mom, always being the mother hen, brought over an extra blanket from the small closet in the corner to cover me up. As I finally got settled, Bella immediately snuggled in tight against my body. She rested her head against my chest; with her left hand she grabbed my right one and brought it between us, intertwining our fingers once again; her right hand she wrapped around my waist. She slipped her fingers into my belt loops. She always did this when we were napping together. She said she did that so that - when I woke up and had to leave - that the tug on her fingers would wake her too, and she'd get the chance to say goodbye properly. It rarely ever worked, though, as throughout the night her fingers would loosen their grip and slip out of the loops.

The only movement that gave me a reason to hesitate was when she brought her leg up over my hip, effectively pressing our lower bodies together. Even under the covers it was obvious what position we were in. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander over to Charlie and Emmett, praying they weren't giving me the "dead meat" glare.

But what I saw on their faces was a look I don't know that I've ever seen before. Charlie's sad brown eyes that were so much like his daughter's were filled with tears. He looked toward the ceiling, I'm sure willing the tears away before looking back down at me. Alice and Rose stood, making room for Charlie as he edged carefully towards his sleeping daughter. Leaning down, he placed a kiss tenderly to her temple before reaching a hand over and placing it on my shoulder.

"You are a good man, Edward." He said before slowly making his way out of the room. There was so much paper work that needed to be logged. I hated that I was leaving him and Emmett to take on the brunt of it for right now. But I just couldn't bring myself to care right at that moment as my angel whimpered in her sleep. I reached up and brushed her hair back from her face, caressing her cheek again trying to soothe her.

As I looked around the room everyone else was slowly making their way out. Rose had her arms wrapped once again around Alice, trying their best to offer each other comfort. Jasper had his hands in his pockets shuffling along behind them, not really sure what to say to either of them. He gave me a small smile of support before closing the door behind them. Esme was sitting back down into the recliner in the corner, pulling out her cross-stitch. She was settling in once again for the night to watch over her babies, I'm sure.

Emmett. He was still standing at the windows, arms crossed, looking out at the pitch black of the night.

"Edward." His normally booming voice came out as a soft whisper. "I know you've loved Bella since the first day you met her. And you know that I've done what I could to protect her as best I could," his voice trembling a bit on the last. "But I can't take seeing her break down like that and not being able to do something about it." Turning towards me, I could see the tears streaming down his cheeks. "We have to catch this guy, man. This is my baby sister we are talking about."

Sighing heavily, I felt Bella pull me into her yet again. Her face snuggled into the crook of my neck breathing my smell in deeply.

"We will, man. I swear it to you. We will stop him."

As he straightened up, Emmett ran his hand down his face wiping his tears away. Giving a brisk nod of his head he headed for the door. "I've got to log her phone into evidence," he said handling the baggie that I had given him when I first entered the room. As his hand reached the handle of her door he paused, not looking back, "When she wakes up, will you tell her I love her?"

"Absolutely."

With this, he exited the room, stopping just outside to give strict instructions to the NEW agent we had just moments ago placed outside of Bella's door.

"You should try to get some sleep, sweetheart." my mother's soft, warm voice said from the corner of the room.

I could feel the exhaustion from the past two days settling in on me. My eyes began to feel heavy and I was quickly losing against my best efforts to keep them open. As my fingers began to slowly strum through Bella's hair I began to hum a slow, soft tune. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was Bella's favorite. She said that whenever she couldn't sleep, if I sang it to her, it seemed to make everything alright. I couldn't help but pray that it would lull her into a dreamless sleep tonight.

_Come stop your cryingIt will be all rightJust take my hand Hold it tight I will protect youfrom all around youI will be hereDon't you cry For one so small,you seem so strongMy arms will hold you,keep you safe and warmThis bond between usCan't be brokenI will be hereDon't you cry 'Cause you'll be in my heartYes, you'll be in my heartFrom this day onNow and forever more You'll be in my heartNo matter what they sayYou'll be here in my heart, always Why can't they understandthe way we feelThey just don't trustwhat they can't explainI know we're different but,deep inside usWe're not that different at all And you'll be in my heartYes, you'll be in my heartFrom this day onNow and forever more Don't listen to them'Cause what do they knowWe need each other,to have, to holdThey'll see in timeI know When destiny calls youYou must be strongI may not be with youBut you've got to hold onThey'll see in timeI knowWe'll show them together _

My eyes were so heavy by this time. The words were barely making it past my lips to the point that I wasn't sure I was making sense anymore. As I was searching my foggy mind for the last chorus, I heard the sweet voice of my mother finishing the song for me.

_'Cause you'll be in my heartYes, you'll be in my heartFrom this day on,Now and forever more Oh, you'll be in my heartNo matter what they sayYou'll be in my heart, always_

As sleep took over my body, I found the strength for one final word to leave my lips before the darkness took me.

"_Always," _I mumbled softly against the curve of Bella's ear.

I knew she heard me. Even in the deepest of sleep, as corny as it might sound, our hearts always heard one another's.

"_Always,"_ she whispered against my neck.

* * *

_AN: Ok so do I earn a collective AWE!! I thought the last part was sweet. I got that part from a real life experience. Short story…my nephew, when he was 4 weeks old had open heart surgery. I was holding him in the hospital not long after, he was crying and nothing really could make him happy. Once I started singing that song to him he quieted down and just stared at me. I whispered always to him too at the end just like Edward. So I thought it was a tender moment you all would appreciate too. _

_It might be a little longer between updates in the next week or so. I've got Operation Christmas Child coming up this weekend and several other events at church. I will try to get out a chapter a week but more than that I'm not sure about. I hope you understand. I love this story and will not abandon it. _


	15. Chapter 15

**Twilight….a wonderful original work owned completely by Stephenie Meyer. I swear one day I'm going to write something just as great….well we can all dream can't we?**

_AN: First off….I BROKE 100 REVIEWS!!!!! I know, to some it's a small accomplishment. But if you look back at my other stories…I didn't make it that far on those. So this is a great milestone for me to have hit. Thank you sooo much to those that helped me get there. It means the world to me._

_Ok so this is probably the only chapter for this week. With the holidays coming up I've gotten really busy lately and I haven't had a chance to complete anything that I'm truly satisfied with. I love this story and you guys to much to pass forth something half-assed that I'm not completely happy with. Plus I'm rearranging a few places in my time line to try to throw you off a little more…tee hee. So sue me I like that you guys are actually anxious for more chapters and are throwing out some really good guesses at who the Killer could be._

_**WARNING: This chapter is VERY descriptive sexually and has some behaviors that may cause some of you to throw-up slightly in your mouths when you read it…so be fair warned. Remember…you are learning from this chapter and the next few to come what kind of mind the Killer has. I need you to understand him better so that you appreciate what Bella would have gone through had she not escaped.**_

* * *

?POV

Friday had started off on a rainy note. Rain, I hated when it rained. That always put me into a foul mood and I wasn't the most pleasant of personalities as it was anyway. It had been exactly one week since my angel had escaped. The month was quickly coming to a close. As the days passed I was growing more and more frustrated. I needed my release and these assholes were keeping her from me.

I had been sitting in my car outside of the hospital off and on almost all week. There never seemed to be a time when one member or more of her family wasn't at the hospital. And that boyfriend of hers, Fuckward, showed up every night like clockwork at seven bringing in some form of take-out for a late supper. Then I'd watch the person who had been with her the majority of the day leave. But Fuckward wouldn't leave until the morning when yet another family member or friend would show up to sit with her during the day.

Thursday night I even attempted to slip into the hospital to see if I could get a glimpse of my Isabella. But all I got a good look at was the damn FBI agent that had been posted at her door. Shit, this would be harder than I thought to get her back. But not impossible. I just had to be patient and bide my time. She would have to leave the hospital some time and, when she did, it would be easier to get her alone.

Sighing, I realized I would need to find another outlet, someone new. After the incident at the hospital I had slipped back to Seattle and hit up one of my favorite spots. I was tense as hell and needed to fuck someone. The "In and Out" club was my favorite spot as it almost always had some form of dripping pussy that wouldn't mind a good pounding. But tonight I would need some ass, too. Unless I was lucky enough to find a virgin - which in that place was like finding a drop of water in hell - I had to fuck some ass to get the kind of tight friction I craved.

As I reached for the key to start my engine, heading for what would have been yet another long drive back to Seattle, I saw something that made a huge smile come to my face and my cock to swell. Nurse Hotpants was walking my way. Sweet, I never did thank her for helping me at the beginning of the week.

I reached down and rubbed my cock through my straining jeans. _Easy boy, you'll have pussy soon enough and some ass if you are a good boy._

Quietly - I got out of my car and started easing over to where Hotpants was headed. Ok - so it's true she really wasn't my type. Long, curly, wild red hair was not a turn on for me. But for tonight I would make an exception. I was only hoping I could get her on her back or maybe her knees. Even if I had to force her it would be worth it.

I continued stalking her, and when she was only a couple of cars away, she finally stopped. "Look I don't like to be followed, so you better just show yourself." The aggravation was apparent in her voice, but the slight tremble at the end made my heart start to flutter.

Fuck, she was the type that didn't run; she liked a confrontation. The women that called you out on stuff like being followed normally meant they were fighters. I would have to approach this differently then. I readjusted my throbbing cock in my pants and stepped forward more into the light so that she could finally see me.

A small gasp left her overly plump lips. _Well at least they would be good for sucking my cock. _She started to take small steps back from me, back towards the hospital exit she had just left. I knew if I didn't grab my chance now I might not get the chance again.

"Wait, please. I know you think you have reason to be frightened of me." _If she only knew just HOW many reasons she had to be frightened. _"But if you will just give me five minutes I swear I'll explain everything."

She stopped and waited. "First, why don't you tell me why it is that I risked my career to help someone when I don't even know their real name? I lied to the Chief of Staff. He could squash me like a bug and not even get his shoes dirty doing it." As she crossed her arms tightly over her chest - trying hard to give off exactly how angry she was - I couldn't help but notice how large that made her tits.

_God I want to bite and suck on those for a few hours. _I shifted my legs uncomfortably together trying to get a little friction going, a little relief. My cock was pounding between my legs.

"I admit that I lied to you. But I did it for a very good reason." I tried hard to sigh dramatically in all the right places, even running a hand slowly down my face as though it pained me to tell the story at all.

"Can we sit down for a minute? I swear I'll tell you everything." She seemed to think that over a bit, biting her bottom lip. _God is she trying to be flirtatious or something? That's only sexy when Isabella does it. _

She motioned forward to one of the picnic tables that had been placed under a tall tree. I waited to sit till after she was seated, trying to come off as a gentleman. Hell I was going to deserve an academy award after my little performance was over.

Sitting across from her I noticed that the table ended up hiding me from her from the waist down. So I slid my hand down to my thigh. After I got this conversation started and had her enthralled in my story I would find some kind of relief for my throbbing cock. The zipper to my pants was pressing painfully into the skin.

_Why had I decided to go commando tonight? Because you love the pain you sick fuck_.

"Ok, so I'm waiting." She began to drum her fingernails on the table top. French tipped, I'd have those things scratching my back before the night was over.

Sighing again I began the story I had so carefully thought up. She would be putty in my hands before I got half way through it. Glancing around one more time to be sure we were alone and none of the lurking Forks PD was around I began.

"Yes, I did lie to you, but I did it for a good reason. And I hope by the time I'm finished you will understand why I had to do it and that I am very grateful for the help you gave me back there."

She let her arms relax completely on the table. Women like her liked being appreciated for things they did even if it was small. I knew from that one little action I would have to continue to stroke her ego if I ever wanted her to start stoking something of mine. Reaching down I gave a tight squeeze to my cock and balls. _Oh god that feels so good. _

My eyes nearly rolled back into my head before I realized I had stopped my story and she was waiting for me to continue. I had to focus to get this right or I wouldn't be pounding that pussy tonight.

"Two and a half years ago I was living in California. I was going to school, having just gotten out of the military and my GI Bill was making it pretty easy on me. Working part-time so I could focus on school I didn't really think I had a lot of time for much else. I worked as a tattoo artist in a small shop on Sunset. It was really nice and everything seemed to be going pretty well till one day this group of girls came in."

Somewhere during my story she had reached up and taken her hair down from its pony tail. The long curly waves of red flowed down her back and shoulders. I licked my lips at the thought of being able to fist a handful of that as I forced her face and pouting lips down over my cock. _I wonder if she can deep throat._

The thought sent shivers down my spine as she caught me gaping at her. Blushing a bit, she looked down at her hands; "Go on," she said shyly.

Pressing harder on my cock, I started to move my hand slowly up and down so as not to tip her off that I was stroking with her right in front of me. Call me crazy, but some girls aren't turned on knowing a man is jacking his dick while sitting so close.

"Well, I could tell by the time their barely covered asses walked through the door that they were jailbait and all I could ever do was look. They were cheerleaders by the looks of things. One still had the top half of her uniform on with the initials of the school showing. As you could imagine I was a bit stunned when one of them, a very leggy blonde, walked over and asked me how much it would cost to get a tattoo."

I could tell she was deep into the story now because she shifted herself closer to me. I felt the tip of her shoe touch the inside of my calf as she had her legs crossed towards me. I had been stroking so hard now that I knew if I didn't stop for a moment I'd shoot my delicious juice all over myself, and I was saving that for the little she-devil in front of me.

"In the state of California, unless you have a parent's consent, you have to be at least 18. There was no way these girls were 18. But the blonde, who I later found out was named Kate, had a signed note from her "father" saying it was fine. She even laid out the money right in front of me, $300.00 with a $50.00 tip for me on top of that."

Hotpants' mouth gaped open completely astonished, "You mean you are in trouble with the law for giving a tattoo to a girl under the legal age?"

I quickly suppressed the groan and rolling of my eyes at her stupidity. _Ok, so fucking her mouth might not be a great idea. All that excess pumping of air in that already air-head of hers might make it explode._

"No sweetheart," I knew the endearment wouldn't go unnoticed. Hey I had to butter her up somehow, right? "If you tattoo someone underage, and get caught, the most you can get is a fine and maybe lose your license. I wouldn't run from the law for that."

She sat back and sighed with relief, a small smile playing on her lips. _What an idiot._

"After I gave Kate the tattoo, she started coming around the shop more often. Eventually she and I started to see one another. I was 22 and she was 17; really not that much older than her, so I figured why not. Here's where the running from the law comes into play. We had been dating for about three months when we decided to sleep together."

I noticed how Hotpants apparently turned into Wetpants because she started to slowly squirm in her seat, readjusting her position. I also noticed how her foot was beginning to run up and down my calf a lot more - far too much for it to be an accidentally shifting movement. She was playing footsie with me. I so wanted to just reach down, yank her shoe off, whip out my cock, and let her rub one off for me. Since I couldn't do that I continued with my story…only this time with a little more embellishing as I could tell she liked where it was headed when I mentioned the sex.

"We had been fucking for about three weeks off and on. Most times it was just blow jobs or a hand job in the car before I'd take her home for the night. Occasionally, she'd let me go down on her and eat her out. She knew I loved the fact that she kept her pussy bare so none of those pubes would get in my mouth. She liked it even more that I waxed, too. And lord, was she loud. She would squeal and moan so loud; I swear if her legs weren't clamped over my ears she probably would have caused me to have temporary hearing loss."

My whale of a tale was going strong, and I could tell it was having the desired effect on her because she had since crossed her arms back over her chest. She wasn't fooling me; I could see her fingers reaching down and start to pinch and roll her nipples through her shirt.

"This had been going on for a while when one night she called me and told me to hurry right over. Apparently her parents had gone out with some friends to a dinner party and wouldn't be home till very late at night. When I got there she pulled me into the house and pretty much attacked me. She was all over me, pulling at my clothes, telling me to fuck her till she couldn't stand anymore. We barely made it to her bedroom before she had my cock in her hands stroking me."

"I've fucked a lot of women in my time, especially during the time I was in the military, so I had the experience needed to send her to heaven. But this was her first time, and I was actually trying to be gentle. I remember asking her if she had condoms, because I had not prepared for this, not tonight at least. She told me to fuck the condoms; she wanted me buried inside her - bare."

I could tell that my little elaborations on my story were completely turning her on. I had her right where I wanted her and I wasn't about to let up. She'd be the one begging me to fuck her before it was all over with.

"Well, we had been going at it for a few hours when I told her I should probably get going. I remember the clock read 11:00 exactly because the room was so dark that the only thing I could see was the huge red numbers of her alarm clock on the dresser. She told me we still had some time left and that I had to fuck her one more time but with the lights on so that we could watch one another. I have to admit I was more than turned on by this because fucking with the lights off had been her idea. I normally love to watch, hell sometimes I even record it to watch later."

_Ah, yes. I've got recordings of Jessica, Lauren, Angela, and an unfinished one of my Isabella. But I've got plenty of tape on that one; I'll finish it in a few months. _

Licking my lips I continued my story. "So I got on top of her, ready to ram up into her, when she told me she wanted to ride me instead."

Wetpants' eyes were HUGE now she was so wrapped up in the story. "What happened next?"

_Duh, what do you think happened next? Do you think I sat back and wrote a great American novel? I fucked the hell out of her. Idiot!_

"Well, of course I laid back and she climbed right on top and slid me right up into her. She wasn't very smooth in the way she rode me. A little clumsy sometimes, picking herself up a bit too far so that I came out of her completely. After a few minutes of her trying on her own I grabbed her by the hips and started guiding her. She got it after that. I loved watching her big tits bouncing up and down in front of me. It was all going really well, and I was getting pretty close to cumming. She started becoming more verbal; reaching up and rubbing her tits. She even leaned down and sucked her nipple into her own mouth. I couldn't believe that she hadn't done any of this during our other fuck sessions, and I was so grateful for the light now to be able to watch her. It was only when she started to say 'oh yeah fuck me, fuck me like that, Daddy' that it dawned on me that she hadn't been looking at me at all when she started her little grope fest of herself."

"I bent my head back as far as I could to look at the door. There was her Dad standing in the door way with his pants unzipped rubbing one off while watching his daughter get fucked. I figured he would blow a gasket and run after me threatening my life for doing such dirty things to his little girl. But no, after he noticed that I had seen him he just told me to keep going, that it was a beautiful sight."

Wetpants' mouth would have dropped to the ground if it could have; she was gaping at my story now. I couldn't quite read her expression. Did I take it too far? Did I embellish too much? She answered those questions for me.

"So did you keep fucking her?" I couldn't help but realize this was the first time she had pointedly addressed the sex I was talking about. I still had her. With a small smirk and a blush I willed to color my cheeks, I continued.

"Well yes, I did. I mean, it would have meant blue balls from hell if I had stopped at that moment, and if Daddy dearest didn't seem to mind and his daughter didn't…well who was I to condemn their family dynamics, ya know? So yeah, I kept fucking her and fucking her hard, too. She was bouncing all around really screaming out now. But all of a sudden everything changed. Her Dad started screaming at me to get the fuck off of his daughter, that he was going to kill me, that he'd cut my dick off and feed it to me blah blah blah."

The confused look she had on her face was actually kinda cute. "Apparently, he heard his wife enter the house from the garage and start to run up the stairs to see why her daughter was screaming her head off. He knew he had to cover his tracks pretty quick. So he went from horny Daddy that likes to watch his daughter to the complete opposite all to save face. I pulled out of her, grabbed up all my clothes and raced out of the house buck naked, dove into my car and sped away. I hadn't been at my house for more than an hour when I got a call from Kate telling me I had better get out of there for a while. Her dad ended up calling the police and pressing charges against me; statutory rape." I pounded my fists on the table top to add extra effect.

"That fucker had the nerve to press charges against me for fucking his daughter. But in the state of California it doesn't matter. No sex with anyone under the age of 18...period. And I couldn't even tell the cops that he was watching that night because they would have said I was just trying to get back at him for pressing charges. He would claim that I had made the whole thing up. So I grabbed everything I could stuff into my car and ran."

Ok, so I knew my story was good but I didn't expect what came next. Drippy drawers got up, walked around the table, sat down next to me and hugged me. She actually fucking hugged me. And yes, I tried to discreetly cop a feel too, but if you had those big double D's in your face you would have, too.

Pushing back my hair from my face she cooed to me like she was taking care of a helpless kitty. "You poor thing; that's awful to have that happen to you - and so unfair, especially since he was the pervert who was watching you. I'd love to give him a piece of my mind." She huffed before sticking her bottom lip out slightly.

_A piece of your mind? I didn't think she could spare the little bit she had functioning. _

"So that's why you lied to me at the hospital. You were afraid I'd turn you in if I knew?"

_Keep going on with the story. All you have to do now is reel her in because you've SOOOO got her hooked._

"Yeah, I've been on the run for two and a half years. It's a three year statutes of limitations on statutory rape. I just couldn't blow it with only 6 months left to go." She was still stroking my face, and I have to admit it felt oddly good. But I pushed that aside and continued on with my act. I told you I'd deserve an award after this was over. I willed my eyes to fill up with unshed tears, secretly having reached around to the back of my leg and pinched the hell out of it to get the tears to show. A little "oh" left her lips as she saw my sensitive side appear.

"I didn't want to lie to you. You seem so nice and you were being so gentle with me." I looked down at my hands in mock shame allowing one of the tears to escape as it trickled down my cheek.

"Oh, you poor baby," she said as she pulled me into her again, pressing my head against her chest. I began to nuzzle my nose into her cleavage, wrapping my arms around her, absorbing all her comfort. God, she felt good. "I completely understand why you did it. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes." My tongue had just barely slipped out of my mouth to lick her exposed skin when she yanked my head back up to look her in the eyes. "You don't have to worry about me saying a thing." Jerking my head back down to her chest she cradled me against her, rocking me slowly.

_What am I, a fucking baby? Stop rocking me._

Giving a dramatic sniffle against her shirt I finished my little tale. "I didn't mean to lay all of this at your feet. But you deserved to know the truth. Especially, as you said, since you were risking your job for me by lying. And look at the time," I said glancing at my watch. "I've kept you here so long. You probably want to get home, right?"

Before she could answer her stomach gave a loud growl of protest. She giggled a little, "Actually I think I'm going to head out to get something to eat before I head home." Standing up, she started to stretch before I followed her, doing the same. We had actually been sitting for a while. Wow, I was so going to have to figure out how to fucking cut that down a bit for the next time I had to tell it. Granted it was all complete bullshit, but she didn't have to know that. Yes, there was a Kate, but she just ended up like all the others I had fucked along the way, well until I came to Washington that is. Buried in a remote location, never to be found, unless I decided to lead someone to her, that is.

As I stood there stretching, I noticed from the corner of my eye that she was checking me out. My shirt had ridden up and you could see the trail of hair from my belly button going down into my pants. She licked her lips.

_Just wait a little bit longer. You can taste it all you want baby._

Rubbing the back of my neck self-consciously - hey, I was still playing a part here. I had to keep the charade going. I allowed my voice to crack a little, giving off the impression I was worried she'd reject me.

"Would you want to go out with me? Maybe grab a bite to eat? I'm kinda hungry, too. We could kill two birds with one stone," I said with a nervous chuckle.

Her beaming smile told me my answer before her overly pouting lips did. "I'd love to." She was practically bouncing up and down with anticipation.

_Yeah baby, keep bouncing. It's planting all kinds of images in my head of what that will look like later._

I borrowed a page from Fuckward's book, something I had seen him do hundreds of times with Isabella. I offered her my arm.

Her hand flew to her cheek as she blushed, before wrapping her arm around mine. We only got about three steps back towards my car when she stopped abruptly.

"Wait. I still don't have a clue what your real name is."

_Crap. Details, details. She would be the persistent one, wouldn't she?_

Trying to come off with as much boyish charm as I could muster I coyly said, "Well, I don't know your name either," I said, even though I had been staring at her hospital ID for over an hour now.

She gave another annoying giggle, "It's Victoria. Victoria Roberts," she said as she offered her hand to me formally.

_What could it hurt?_

Gripping her hand I gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Mike. Mike Newton. It's a pleasure to meet you."

With that, both of us smiling for completely different reasons; I led her to my car. This would be a night she would never forget. I would make sure of it. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************_AN: Ok, I know…bad author for leaving a cliffhanger like that. But I bet I got you wondering if I'm telling you the truth though right? I mean, come on, I've thrown out tons of possibilities so far. Let's review: First there was the song playing on Bella's radio "Hungry Like a Wolf". None of you caught that even though I thought it was a cool play on my intention to implicate Jacob. Then I throw out Seth's name at the hospital. Then Esme is given Laurent's name, and now Victoria is given Mike's name. Several of you say that it's James, and a few of you actually think it will be someone I've not named yet. _

_Well I will say this….one of you is right. LOL Guess you'll just have to keep reading to figure it out. But isn't the suspense great? LOL_

_Thank you so much for reading. And don't look for me this weekend I'm going to "NEW MOON" myself to death. I'm planning on seeing the midnight showing and then hitting up a few matinee's after that this coming weekend. _

_Rule of a true fan: The first time you see the movie, you see it knowing that you won't be able to truly enjoy it because of all the squealing, giggle, and drooling you are doing. You really are going just for the experience. _

_So you see it a second time because you have recovered some and you figure you will be able to actually take in the majority of the content even though you are still carrying around a lot of extra napkins for those overly active drool sessions LOL. _

_You come back a third time because you are wanting to truly appreciate the cinematic value of it. The angles that are beautifully done, the clothing changes from character to character. You feel the rush of all the emotions from each beloved character…and you find yourself sometimes even crying with a character because you feel their pain. _

_Fourth time you go is because you've spent a few days re-reading the book and now you are going back to pick out the different things they've left out or reworked so that it fits better in the movie. You are also really digging the soundtrack by now and you have even picked out your favorite song and can tell anyone that comes near you why any Twilight movie is a MUST SEE!!_

_Fifth time you go….well it's just so you can say to anyone that asks you…YES I'VE SEEN IT FIVE TIMES and PROUD OF IT!! LOLOk so maybe that's just me…..But I still love you all!!_


	16. Chapter 16

**Twilight: Forever, completely and totally Stephenie Meyers….darn the luck!**

**But I do own the concept behind this story!**

_AN: If you haven't seen New Moon yet…what in the world are you waiting for??? Thank you so much to my faithful reviewers and readers. I hate to pick out any in particular because it feels wrong to leave out someone but Irritable Grizzly and DeeDee…you two crack me up with your reviews. _

_I hope that you all don't mind just a little filler fluff before the next few chapters….they are going to get pretty heavy and pretty dark very soon. So I figured you wouldn't mind a little sweet time between Edward and Bella. Hope you enjoy._

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EPOV

It was very late, somewhere just after midnight Thursday night, or was it Friday morning? I was finding it hard to keep track anymore.

I picked up the time line that Emmett and I had been making notes on from Bella's attack. As I read over it, for what seemed the hundredth time, I couldn't believe that it had only been one week since this nightmare all started. As Bella's bedside light briefly flickered, I couldn't help but sit back and gaze at my love as she slept.

The thunder was rolling outside and the winds were howling. Lightning illuminated the corners of the room in sudden, bright flashes. It was nights like this, with it pouring so hard outside, Bella and I loved to be snuggled deep under our covers, sleeping peacefully. But tonight I was sitting up, keeping watch over my angel as she restlessly slept.

What I wouldn't give to turn back time…to start this week over and change things. But if I had known, if I could have anticipated this coming, would it have made it better or worse? I struggled with that thought. Could I have stopped this? Emmett and I had been working on this case for half a year now. Surely there had to have been something along the way we could have seen to anticipate this guy's moves.

He followed the same pattern every other month. He would stalk his victim one month, attack the next, and within three days of their disappearance they would show up dead. But beyond that what could we really go on? He liked dark haired, medium build, short women. What was I going to do? Put every woman that fit that description on house arrest for the next several months hoping to wait the guy out - frustration hopefully causing him to make a mistake?

I ran my hand through my hair and down my face. The papers before me were starting to blur - I was finding it hard to really rest these days. Picking up the timeline again I began to read over it.

June 5th - Bella was taken from the parking lot at Forks Elementary. Her memory was a little fuzzy about that time, but she was certain she had packed up to leave sometime around 5:00 that afternoon.

Five o'clock Friday afternoon. What was I doing on that day at 5:00 when my Bella was being abducted? I chewed nervously on the cap of my pen.

_You know Bella hates when you do that, Edward. _

June 6th - Bella still has no memory of this day or its events. She wasn't listed as missing yet. The spa, where she was supposed to check in, hadn't called Charlie yet to ask about Bella's whereabouts. Emmett had gone earlier to question them and apparently it's not uncommon for people to check in later than expected - or not at all. And they rarely called to check on them because they do warn clients ahead of time that it's a non-refundable stay.

_That was the night Charlie and I had a late supper - pizza and beer - at the house after he got off work. We watched a Mariners game on ESPN. I so wanted to call Bella that night, just to hear her voice. I always missed her when she wasn't around. _

June 7th - It's 6:00 before the spa calls to the house, leaving a message on Charlie's machine. "Yes, this is the manager of Today's Retreat calling to inquire about Bella Swan's visit to our facility. We had not heard from her and wanted to be sure that everything was alright. We do still have her reservation but it does expire for her free weekend on Monday afternoon by 5:00. Ms. Swan, we hope to hear from you soon. Thank you."

I had played that recording so many times. _Why couldn't the spa have called the day she didn't show up? Charlie and I had the best resources at our fingertips. We could have put out an APB on Bella's car. A bulletin of her missing could have been put on the interstate highway alert signs. Hundreds could have known she was missing in hours. So many missed opportunities._

Sighing, I covered my face with my hands. My shoulders were tied in knots. After the fiasco with the agent I had placed at Bella's door I wasn't taking any chances. Call me over protective I couldn't help it. I rarely ever left her side now. Emmett said I was taking things to the extreme because I even locked her door when I excused myself to the bathroom. But could anyone really blame me? No one was getting into her room without me passing approval on them. Bella was being really great about all of this. Not once did she blame me for what had happened. But that didn't stop me from blaming myself.

I couldn't help it. He got to her again and it both frustrated the hell out of me and scared me to death. Once again it felt like he was always a few steps ahead of me no matter how many steps closer we were getting to catching him.

I kept waiting for the roadblocks to hit again with this case. Emmett and I had been lucky so far. One lead kept turning into another. Granted they were small, but still they were taking us somewhere. It was better than the alternative, sitting and staring at a file, frustrated over where to go next. I couldn't stop myself from being encouraged. Sometimes however, letting your encouragement over a small lead take over you could often lead to mistakes. I could not afford mistakes in this case. But I just felt that a big break was coming our way. I just had to hold out a little bit longer.

We had brought in a sketch artist to speak to my mom and the nurse on duty that night, Jackie. They were both able to give a description of the man they saw. But the sketch was of such a standard guy. It didn't look like it was really going to help much. I stared into the cold dead eyes of the face on the page. His features were really quite ordinary. Round face, with just a slightly pointed jaw-line, his eyes seemed squinted almost giving off a feeling of menace in his glare. Eyebrows, thick, curving around the set of his eyes. His hair was described as bordering on sandy blonde to light brown. My mom said that he was about six foot, maybe 160 to 170 lbs. Not very large at all, but she was clear on the feelings she felt when he was in the room with her. She said, and I quote, "I felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest as he glared at me. I just wanted to get him out of her room."

My mom was still beating herself up for that night. I tried to explain that it was not her fault at all but she wouldn't hear of it. "If I wouldn't have left her - even for a few minutes - to go get some things from the break room, he never would have been able to get to her again. Dear God, if I hadn't gotten back when I did I dread to even think about what he might have had time to do."

She had explained to me in private later how when she walked in and addressed the man she now knew was not Laurent - Bella's description of Laurent was nothing like the man that she saw that night - that he had not immediately turned around to address her properly. His right hand had stayed in front of his body. Apparently he realized that she had started to walk around to the opposite side of Bella's bed. Once he faced my mother, even the proper lady that she is, she couldn't help but notice that he was aroused. The thought always made her shiver in disgust. That was when she really decided she wanted this guy out of the room and she had nervously started pushing the call button to the nurse's station.

"Edward?" Bella's sleep filled voice penetrated my thoughts. "Edward?" She called again louder this time.

"I'm here baby," I said, easing over to her bedside. Taking her hand gently in mine I kissed her knuckles. Her fingers and nails were almost completely healed now. Although, she did still have a tendency to gingerly grabbed onto things, expecting the pain.

I hated that. Bella should never EXPECT pain, not while I was alive.

"I'm cold. Will you sleep with me?" Her voice reminded me of when we were children and she would ask Charlie for an extra chocolate kiss after supper for dessert. She bit her trembling bottom lip, half expecting me to say no. It seemed as though she had been afraid to even ask. I hated that this whole experience had affected her mindset of me and our love. She kept waiting for me to reject her.

I gave her my best grin. She always said my smile was crooked, but that it gave me personality. And it was one of my most charming features.

"Scoot over love," I happily replied while pulling her covers back toeing off my shoes. The bed was a little on the small side so it was almost mandatory that snuggling would be involved. Over the past few days Bella had become more comfortable being close to me again. Not having her in my arms, being able to comfort her in every way, tore at my heart. So to be given the chance to have her body pressed to mine - well I jumped at it.

I made sure she was well covered again tucking the covers around her, still being very careful of her back. The swelling and redness had almost completely gone away but once they started to recede the itching started. My Dad warned that this would happen as it started to heal and it was important to prevent Bella from trying to scratch it as much as possible. This would help to prevent her re-growing nails from causing any damage to the sensitive skin on her back.

Flashback

_Bella woke up Wednesday morning calling my name like normal. During the day Esme, Alice, or Rosalie would come and hang out with her. She hated being left alone and they were the only ones I truly trusted to leave her with. Emmett was normally with me working the cases, Charlie would stop in whenever he could but he too had a full time job, and don't forget Carlisle and Jasper. Both worked full time under sometimes very demanding schedules. _

_I still hated leaving Bella though and called almost every hour to check in with her. I was never gone for very long. I just couldn't bear to be away from her like that. What if she needed me? _

_I had been dozing off and on in the recliner that my Dad had requested be brought in. When I looked up she was on her back wiggling around in the bed. _

_I couldn't help but chuckle when I asked, "What are you doing?" my sleepy voice asked._

"_It itches." she whined softly. "But I can't reach properly." Her bottom lip pouting out was just too much to resist. I got up stretching, smoothing out my t-shirt before coming over to her bed. As I helped her sit up, I guess I really didn't think about what I was doing - helping Bella just came natural to me - but she started to tense up slightly. I bent down so that I was eye level with her. _

"_Bella, if you don't feel comfortable with me touching you, I won't." I tried to say as softly and tenderly as possible so as not to give off any signs of rejecting her. _

_She sighed with an almost defeated look on her face, "No it's not that. I want you to touch me. I love when your hands are on my body." If it's possible I believe her chocolate eyes almost darkened as she said this in a low whisper. _

She likes my hands on her body. _The thought sent a shiver of delight through me. Since Bella had arrived at the hospital I had been careful to wait for her to initiate the times I was allowed to touch or hold her. This, I felt, gave her back more control of herself, something I was sure she felt very little over lately with all that had happened. I so wanted to be given the chance to really hold her properly, to snuggle with her and to remind her how much I adored her. Every time she moved, or reached for something or just wanted to turn over I wanted to reach out and help her. But I knew that after the attack I had to wait for permission. She had to let me back in._

_So when she had finished getting situated in the bed and motioned for me to come to her - well to say the least I was elated. I noticed that she had shifted forward in the bed enough that I could fit in behind her. After I got comfortable, she reached over to the small night stand and opened the drawer bringing out the most wonderful item my girl could have given me. _

_Her hair brush. _

_Ok, so call me a sap, I don't care but I love brushing Bella's hair. I've said it before and I'll say it again but nothing compares to those silky tresses running through my fingers. Whenever I was home, Bella would let me sit and brush her hair for an hour if that's what I wanted. She often teased that she was surprised she had any left after I got done. I couldn't help it. Each gentle swoop of the brush allowed me to watch those soft mahogany waves fall down her back. It was like watching a chocolate waterfall. _

_And the smell of it was heavenly - sweet strawberries. As I took the brush from her hand I noticed she settled back more into me. She was testing her comfort zones and didn't seem to be having any problem at all with her new boundaries. She knew that I wouldn't push for more than she was ready for but rather greedily soak up any attention and affection she could show my way. I know her distance from me this past week had not been intentional so I did my best to not take it to heart. Bella just needed her space to regain her comfort, her control. _

_As I slowly brought the brush through her hair I started talking about random things to keep the room from filling with awkward silence. Bella and I were never ones that NEEDED to talk all the time. But I wasn't sure if the silence of the room would become too overwhelming._

_Each time I reached the tips of her hair I noticed Bella would shiver. _

"_Baby am I hurting you?" The concern was obvious in my voice as I leaned forward to look at her face. But the look I got back was not one of pain; she was biting her bottom lip, her fingers were gripping the sheets wringing them in her hands, and her legs were shifting slightly up and down the bed; I swear if I didn't know better I would think she was turned on by this. _

_She shook her head no to my question, not answering directly. I allowed the hand that wasn't holding her brush to stray to her back rubbing small circles at the small of it to comfort her. Her eyes slowly shut and a low moan escaped her lips. _

_Ah, it finally dawned on me what was going on. As I was brushing her hair the bristles were touching the top part of her shoulders, scratching her back. She wasn't in pain, she was in pure bliss._

"_More," she softly whispered._

_I gave a small chuckle at her reaction. If it had been any other situation hearing her whisper "more" to me like that would have been terribly erotic. I kissed the back of her head before quickly getting off the bed heading for the door. _

_She gave a small whimper of disapproval at my actions._

"_I'll be right back love. And I promise you'll like what I bring back." _

_As I closed the door softly behind me I swear I could hear her mumble "I better," under her breath. This only made me smile more. More and more of my Bella was resurfacing every day and I loved it. She wasn't allowing this whole ordeal keep her down. She was finding herself again. I only wished she could realize exactly how strong she really was._

_I jogged down the corridor towards the small pharmacy the doctors used at the end of the hall. It kept them from having to head down to the first floor every time they needed something to be filled for a patient. _

"_Excuse me." I called out. A young guy probably in his early twenties approached the caged window._

"_Can I help you?" _

"_Yes, Dr. Cullen prescribed some cream for Isabella Swan. I'd like to pick it up please."_

_He turned to his computer, keying in, I'm sure, Bella's name before turning to a wall of shelves that held small blue buckets. Each bucket held some sort of prescription that apparently was waiting to be picked up by a patient or a doctor. _

_After double checking the label he handed over the small tube to me and a pair of hospital gloves. I couldn't help the curious look that my raised eyebrows gave off to the kid as he handed it all to me. _

"_The cream has Lidocaine in it. So unless you don't mind numb fingers for a few hours then I'd suggest you wear the gloves when it's applied."_

_I gave a small "O" of comprehension as I grabbed my stash and headed back to Bella's room._

_Knocking softly so as not to startle her, I reentered her room showing off the item I had brought back as though it was the rarest of fine jewels._

_The look on Bella's face was priceless. As I explained to her what it was and what it would do a smile spread wide across her face, wider than I had seen all week long. She reached back to grab the tie of her hospital gown before stopping, and looking at me. _

"_You won't be able to put it on without seeing my back." Her voice trembled. I had not really seen her back since the reveal that Carlisle had given to me and Emmett that first night. And to be honest I would be eternally grateful that Bella had been asleep when we did first see it. But now the idea that the tattoo was there had sort of settled into my brain. Sure it still hurt like hell that it was there and the situation in which she got it was horrific, but the tattoo itself really was very beautiful. And the fact that angel wings were on my earthly angel, well they just fit her perfectly. _

_The family tried hard to help Bella to see the tattoo not as ugly but rather as a symbol. Esme compared it to a breast cancer survivor. A mastectomy would always leave the obvious scar. But as a survivor you try really hard not to look at it as an ugly scar but rather a reminder of what you survived. That you fought so hard that even though you, as a woman, had to give up a part of yourself, that you beat it. You won. You were stronger than the hardest thing that could be thrown at you. _

_I wanted so badly for Bella to get to the point where she looked at her tattoo the same way I had started too. _

_Reaching up I stroked her jaw line. Her skin was always so amazingly soft. Running my thumb slowly over her bottom lip I knew she was waiting for my response. "Bella, my love," I whispered. "There will never be a moment in my life where I will not want to look at your body. You are mine and I am yours. The day I stop loving every gentle curve, freckle, or how when you blush it rises all the way up from the top of your chest to your cheeks; the day I stop loving all of that will be the day I stop breathing."_

_She allowed my hand to slowly wander back around her neck reaching and untying her hospital gown. Slipping back behind her again I helped her to slide it down her arms so that she was only holding it against her in the front. Leaning forward slowly I began to press kiss after kiss against the warm skin of her back. Her shivers under my touch caused her wings to flutter slightly giving them an almost majestic effect. _

"_Beautiful," I murmured against the skin of her back. _

_As I leaned back I began to pull a glove over the tips of my fingers before thinking better of it. Numb fingers or not this was my first opportunity to truly touch Bella as I wanted to. And I will be damned if there was going to be anything between me and her beautiful body. _

_Opening the tube and squirting a small dab onto her shoulders I began to rub gently spreading in the white cream. The soft moan of appreciation that left Bella's mouth, I confess, made me rock hard. Bella was always a turn on to me. I could never NOT find her wonderfully attractive. But since the attack I had been very careful not to allow too much passion into my actions. I couldn't risk having her think I was controlled by little Eddie and all I wanted from her was sex even in a time like this. For some reason, though, telling her that she turned me on right now felt right._

_Bella and I were always so in tuned with one another most of the time. Often we'd be able to finish each other sentences, or read the look on the others face before having to verbalize anything. We just KNEW one another that well. Part of me, I think, knew she needed at times like this especially - very exposed and all - to be reassured of how beautiful I found her._

_As I continued to massage in the cream on her shoulders and upper back I took the chance to let her know how I truly felt. _

"_So beautiful. On anyone else a tattoo like this would probably be unattractive. But on you, it just fits, Bella." I whispered to her softly trying to put all of my heart into my words. _

"_I know it's hard right now to look at it as anything but ugly. You were taken against your will and had to endure a torture that for the most part you can't remember. And the unknown can be a terrifying thing. Ignorance of a situation is not always bliss. Sometimes it's the most frightening thing because there is so much to imagine. But I wish you could see yourself the way that we all do. You survived Bella. You fought for your life and you walked away with it. You are so strong. Sometimes your determination and strength leaves me in awe. I know it's easier said than done baby, but don't ever look at this as being your fault. None of this was your fault. Please know that."_

_By the time I had finished trying my best to express to Bella just exactly how amazed I was by her, she was sobbing. Quickly I tried my best to recover the apparent mess I had made of things. I moved around to the front reaching up to cradle her face in my hands. _

"_Bella, love, I'm sorry I don't want you to cry. I didn't mean to upset you baby. Please stop crying. You know I can't let you cry alone. Your tears always end up making me cry too, and I always end up looking like a blubbering idiot."_

_Ok so I was resorting to corny attempts at jokes to make her smile, but I was willing to try anything to get her to stop crying. I was being honest about that. When Bella cried, I cried with her. We were just wired that closely. _

_Bella let out a small half giggle/half sob at my attempts before looking into my eyes. _

"_I love you, Edward. You could have so easily hated me for what's happened. But instead you treat me as though I'm still so precious you. And you always seem to know when I need the most comfort and to hear just the right words. Your love truly amazes me. I don't know how I became so blessed to be worthy of you."_

"_Worthy of me. Bella, it's me who's humbled by you. How does one love an earthbound angel? I've been trying to find a way to live up to that standard for so long. You are my soul mate Bella. You are the next breath I breathe. Nothing will ever change my devotion to you." I rested my forehead against hers before lightly pecking her lips. "You are mine." _

_Bella threw her arms around me, pulling me tightly to her, kissing me with more passion than I had felt since this whole thing started. If it's possible we were even having a problem remembering to breathe as we kissed - breaking apart only for seconds to gulp in a quick intake of needed air. We kissed for what felt like a blissful eternity before we pulled away slightly only to rest our foreheads against one another, gasping for air. _

_As I placed tiny nips and kisses all over Bella's face I started to laugh. Not understanding the humor, she looked to me to explain. _

_I pecked her lips gently one last time before settling back with a big grin. "Your cream for your back, it had Lidocaine in it. My fingers are numb, they fell asleep." _

_The laugh that exploded from Bella was the most wonderful sound I had ever heard. _

END FLASHBACK

As I snuggled in close to Bella, pulling her into my body, I knew. Bella and I would face this together. It wouldn't always be the easiest of times. But in the end we'd make it. We'd do like we always did; we'd lean on one another for support. We were an undefeatable team when we were together. And no demented psycho was going to tear us apart or change how we felt about each other.

Brushing back Bella's hair from her face as she snuggled securely in my arms I could only find one word that truly seemed to say it all for me. Kissing her lips gently as I closed my eyes to rest…. "Mine."

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_AN: I saw New Moon on Friday. I thought it was terrific and I must confess I actually have a little softer heart (RIGHT NOW) for Jacob and the position he was in. Before, by just reading the books, I couldn't see it or feel it. The way they were all so torn in that love triangle. But Jacob really did help to hold her together while Edward was gone. But as always I'm a firm believer in Edward and Bella forever! _


	17. Chapter 17

**Twilight: A wonderful series of stories owned entirely by Stephenie Meyer. But wouldn't it be terrific if I owned them? Ah, to be able to meet Robert Pattinson in person…..drool worthy.**

_AN: I decided to release this chapter without my beta's help, because I wanted to have it out before Thanksgiving. So my beautiful, wonderful, spectacular readers and reviewers…don't chew me up and spit me out if the grammar is poor. LOL I'm from the south, we really do talk like this. LOL. Grizzly…fair warning take half a Prozac before reading so it doesn't kill you needing to correct all of my errors, which I'm sure there will be many. _

_To each and every one of you….have a wonderful, safe and Happy Thanksgiving. _

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BPOV

Edward had stayed with me every night, except that first night, since I had arrived at the hospital. I knew he still blamed himself for that vile man getting so close to me again. But really, I could never blame Edward for that happening. I mean look at the facts. There was hospital security, Esme was with me, Carlisle was in and out at a moments notice, nurses came in to check this stat or that one it seemed every ten minutes, plus he had done his job, he placed an agent at my door. It just didn't work out the way it was supposed too. There was hardly ever a moment where I was alone.

Edward and I both felt secure being at the hospital. So why would we have worried. I mean who in their right minds attacks someone and then pursues them so diligently that they follow them into a heavily populated area, where they could very easily be caught? Maybe that was the thing. We were asking that question of someone in their right minds. Obviously this person could not be in his right mind.

I sat on my bed slowly brushing out my hair, the butterfly needle for my IV was uncomfortable at best, when holding a brush in my left hand so I had to try to reach all of it one handed. Edward had excused himself after Carlisle had come in to use my bathroom. I could hear the small shower running and knew that if he wasn't dressing for a day of work voluntarily that I would have a heck of a time convincing him otherwise.

He needed to get out of this room; for that matter so did I. Edward tried to be a good sport about my requests. He would step out for an hour or two a day, claiming to run errands. But once I got out of bed and watched him walk around the hospital grounds five times before making his way back in. Calling him on it he claimed it was exercise, but I knew the truth. We were just like that with one another. If ever one of us was sick or hurt then the other would be hovering close by. It was like we could feel the others presence.

The time I broke my femur when I was little, it was Edward that picked me up and ran me the whole way down the street to my dad. It didn't even cross his mind to leave me there to go get help because he knew I'd be in pain and scared while he was gone. He just couldn't leave me like that.

Or the time when Edward had his appendix removed. It was me that screamed, kicked, begged and pleaded to be allowed to stay the night with him. Edward didn't sleep well in strange beds and would be crabby in the morning. I know that if he woke up to my face that it wouldn't be as bad. When I reminded the adults of this Esme gave me a look as though she was seriously considering it. She knew all to well the way Edward reacted to not sleeping well. But it was Charlie that finally put his foot down and told me to "get into the car or as much as it pained him to do so he would cut off my visits from Edward completely for a week." I remember the tears flooding my eyes as I kissed Edward's cheek goodnight before promising him quietly that I'd figure something out.

Well the grounding I got later the next afternoon was worth it. I had snuck out of the house - loaded down with things to make Edward's stay in the hospital better - snuck into the hospital and spent the night snuggled up to Edward in his hospital bed. And true to my word when he opened his eyes the next morning to my face he was in a very pleasant mood. One that Esme was very thankful for, which earned me her going to bat with Charlie to make sure my punishment for disobeying wasn't too harsh. I was grounded for two days, not the whole week, and no one said anything when I requested to spend the next three nights with the Cullen's after Edward was released. They knew by my little Houdini act that I would get my way one way or the other even if I did have to suffer a little along the way. My Edward was more than worth it.

So when I saw that staying every night with me, in one uncomfortable position after the other, was doing him more harm than good I knew I had to be firm when I requested him go out. Leave for the whole day, and stay the night at Charlie's in order to get a decent nights rest. Yes, he tried his best to worm his way back in but I had to stand firm. Edward ALWAYS put me first in this world before anything else. It was my turn to look out for him this time. Besides he deserved a hot shower, a really soft bed, and a night where he wasn't having to suffer while watching me tossing and turning from my nightmares.

Yes, I was having nightmares that I just couldn't seem to shake. They were always the same. I was racing through a dark forest, running towards a glowing light. Everything hurt. My feet that were stepping on sticks and rocks, my hands and nails that seemed to catch every sharp point imaginable and my back was on fire. And no matter how hard I ran, the light never seemed to get any closer till the every end. It was always when whomever was chasing me finally caught me, yanking me back into the darkness, growling in my ear "MINE!"

Most times I would bolt upright in bed, sweating or crying hysterically. The first time it happened it scared Edward so badly he actually fell out of bed. From that night onward I could tell Edward only dozed he never really slept. Every creak that the hospital made, every time the door would opening just a crack because of the air conditioning cutting on, every time someone poked their heads in just to check on us, Edward would snap awake going on full alert.

Knowing that he was lacking in some comfort because of me really hurt. I know he didn't do it intentionally. Protecting me was like breathing for Edward. It was part of his very survival. If he didn't breathe he would die, if something were to ever happen to me he wanted to die. It was scary to some, how much we needed one another, but to us we were each other's best half. How do you chop something in half and expect it to still keep on living.

As I sat there thinking about all of this, waiting for Edward to finish in the bathroom I couldn't help but wish he would take some personal time to himself. Even if it was just for a little one on one hoops time with Emmett. Just something to get his mind off of me. Every time I stretched or itched or…well anything, he was there hands hovering over me waiting for something he could help me do. God bless him, I loved him, but after a week of this he was starting to drive me nuts.

When Carlisle had come in he was carrying what I was certain was my chart. It had been one week and slowly they were reevaluating my meds to see which ones I could be taken off of or reduced from. I also knew that after a week all of my test results would have come back. And as badly as I wanted to know the results, I just didn't think I could face those answers without Edward.

So when Edward's back was turned to get his clothes ready to exit to the shower I motioned to Carlisle to zip his lip about what he had in his hands until a little later. Now with Carlisle sitting so close, slowly tapping my chart against his thigh as we waited in silence, I was almost regretting my request.

Carlisle noticed when I winced a little as I shifted my brush to my other hand. "You know if everything goes well, we can take that out today or tomorrow," he motioned to the IV in my hand. "Everything from here on out can be given to you orally, if you would rather, than have it injected?"

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as my shoulders slumped in satisfaction. Finally a small prayer had been answered. "That would be wonderful Carlisle. It doesn't really hurt it's just uncomfortable. Plus Edward is so cautious of it that he wakes up off and on during the night to be sure he hasn't pulled anything out of place. I know he can't be getting any kind of deep sleep doing that so often. And I hate seeing him so tired all the time. I keep trying to convince him to go home and rest in my bed but you know your son."

"Stubborn as the day is long," we both said at the same time making us laugh loudly.

Edward chose that moment to come back into the room carrying his small bag of toiletries. "That's no fair saving the funny stuff for when I'm out of the room," he said with a smirk. Something told me he knew we were talking about him as he smiled at both of us.

Thankfully there would be no strong persuading needed today, as Edward liked to call it. Edward and I never fought. I'm not sure if I could think of a time where we even have ever raised our voices to one another. We were just normally so in tune with each other that we rarely ever found something we disagreed on. Our tastes were that similar.

His hair was still slightly damp, going in every direction possible. He combed it, but it never did any good. It had a mind of its own. He was dressed in a dark blue pair of dress pants and a crisp white dress shirt accentuated by a dark blue tie. Normal agent attire he called it. He laid his blazer over the arm of the chair before coming over to me and giving me a chaste kiss.

_Cinnamon._

I loved the taste of Edward's mouth when he kissed me. There was just something about him that was so intoxicating. But kissing him after he had just brushed was totally different.

Emmett had gotten him hooked on that toothpaste but teased him saying he wasn't getting the total effect of it if he didn't go "BAM!" somewhere during the brushing process. My brother and his love for commercial's. Sometimes I think it's him they are talking about when they say "so easy a caveman can do it." I giggled at my own joke.

I pulled Edward to me, motioning for him to sit down beside me. "Baby, Carlisle has some news for us and I didn't want him to go into it until you were already for your day ok?" I gently brushed the drying hair from his eyes, doing my best to smooth out the frown line that had formed between his eyebrows.

Turning to face Carlisle, Edward's fingers intertwined with my own, "I think we are ready to go over my file whenever you are."

You could see the Doctor coming out of Carlisle as he turned from the loving soon to be father-in-law that kidded around with me to the completely business like person sitting before us.

We both prepared ourselves as he opened my chart reading over some notes briefly before starting.

"First off, let me reassure you that everything is going along just fine. The biggest concern we have right now is that the Tetanus vaccine we gave you seems to be giving you some stronger side effects than we originally thought we'd see. This just means you are more susceptible to side effects with medications."

Looking back down at the chart he continued, "You've reported being overly tired, your body aching more often and having a headache. These are all side effects that you could have from the shot. So we are going to need to monitor you for a little while longer until these start to clear up. So unfortunately, that means probably another week at the most in the hospital Bella."

I groaned, leaning against Edward. Another week are they kidding. It was already mid month of June I didn't want to be in here the whole month. I wanted to go home, to my own bed, to my own shower, to the comforts of my own little world. Edward rubbed my back gently, trying his best to comfort me.

"Now as you know Bella, when you first arrived we ran several tests on you. We had to know what we were up against so we could know what kind of meds to get you started on. Getting a head start over an infection or something similar can sometimes be the make it or break it point. And you know I would never take any chances with you," he smiled lovingly at me.

With Carlisle as my doctor I knew I was in the best hands possible. He was like a second father to me and would do everything possible to see that I was well taken care of.

"Now, there is a test we had to run, that until today we didn't have the results to give to you. Bella we ran an HIV test." My grip on Edward's hand doubled as he pressed a long kiss to my temple. I wasn't sure what I would do if the tests came back positive. Just the phrase HIV made my stomach drop to my knees. The lump I was trying hard to fight off was wedging it self securely in my throat to the point all I could do is nod my head for Carlisle to continue.

I was so terrified. No one knows what you go through if you've never taken an HIV test. First there is the trauma of having a stranger taking your blood to review for a potentially life ending virus. Second there is the guilt you tend to feel about how you could have gotten the virus in the first place. I didn't feel guilt really, since I didn't have any say in the events that lead up to me having to take the test, it was more like anger. Anger that I was being forced to endure all of this because some animal attacked me.

Lastly you endure the wait. I had known from the beginning that Carlisle, being the always cautious doctor he was, would make sure to issue this test when I came in. But waiting for the results was torture. Every thought possible runs through your head. You start thinking way to many what if's. Sometimes you even start saying goodbye to dreams you've had for so long. I wouldn't get married if I had this virus. Not because Edward wouldn't marry me. No, Edward loved me and would marry me today if I asked him too. But there was no way I'd condemn Edward to living a life with me where he was constantly saying goodbye to me daily, watching me deteriorate getting worse every day. I just would never do that to him.

I'd never have children. All though some people carrying HIV can take enough of the drug regiment to prevent the spread of the virus to the baby, I just knew in my heart I could never take that risk. To condemn a child from the beginning just seemed so wrong to me and so selfish.

I'd never grow old. Most people carrying HIV, unless contracted late in life, rarely live to be a ripe old age. The disease, after changing from HIV to full blown AIDS, just tore down your immune system to much and you'd be susceptible to catching anything. Even the common cold could turn into something deadly for you.

"It's negative Bella. I had them check it three times just to be sure." The smile on Carlisle's face was one of relief and love. In his career he's seen a few patients die from AIDS. He knew what that all meant. And I could tell that it was a relief to know I wouldn't have to suffer that same fate.

All of these dreads and fears had been weighing on my mind for a week, and to now know that I never had anything to fear - well that was just hard to grasp. The tears I had been trying so hard to hold back, for Edward's sake, came rushing forward. I was clean. I was alright. I never had to give up my dreams of a long happy life with Edward. And the release of such a weight off of my shoulders was like taking your clothes off after having gotten into a pool fully dressed. The feeling of being dragged down left my body. I felt light, I felt free. My chest wasn't tight anymore waiting for that pending doom of a test result.

Edward pulled me completely into his arms burying his face in my neck. I could feel the tears on my shoulder before I heard soft sobs. Since we were little it was a standing rule, one can't cry without the other. By the time I had my arms wrapped around Edward's body and his around mine we were sobbing like babies. Our lives had been intertwined since the day we met. And nothing was going to break that. But that slight possibility had scared us both to death. And we were doing the best we could to let go of all of that fear in just a few short minutes. To say the least it was all overwhelming.

We were still sobbing, quietly buried against one another, when the door to my room slowly opened to reveal Rosalie, Alice and Esme. From the corner of my eye I could see they were all carrying arm loads of things, but I was too caught up comforting Edward and receiving his comfort to me, to really pay close attention to them.

It was Alice that broke the silence. The terror in her voice was heartbreaking because no one outside of that room knew why Edward and I were crying. To those outside it seemed we were devastated by something. But in reality we were celebrating.

"What's wrong, what happened?" Alice had set her items at the table at the foot of my bed waiting for an answer. All of the girls looked like they were on the verge of falling apart if they weren't told something soon, all fearing the worse.

As I pulled myself a little from Edward's arms, his face still buried into the crook of my neck, slightly ashamed to show he had been crying so much, I turned to the others.

"I just got some very good news. And it was a little overwhelming to hear." I tried hard to stop the tears, so that I could speak more clearly, but they kept rolling down my cheeks. "Carlisle got my test results back and I'm clean. Even the HIV test. I'm clean."

The gasp that filled the room from all three of them would have actually been quite comical had it been under different circumstances. Esme, Alice and Rose all rushed to my bed finding places to sit near me. Esme took my free hand that wasn't running through Edward's hair trying to calm him, giving it a tight squeeze. "That is amazing news Bella."

"I just knew everything would be ok, it was like I had a vision or something" Alice sniffed, pulling out a tissue from her purse. "It just had to be."

Rose just looked at me intently. She knew what I had gone through. She had to endure the same kinds of tests a year ago. She knew the heartbreak and the relief of the process. Her tests too came back negative. There were no words needed between me and Rose. Just the strong half hug she was able to give me with Edward still clutching so tightly to me.

I could tell he was calmer now. He didn't seem to be crying anymore but he wasn't making any move to leave my side either.

"Edward, my love. Are you alright?" I whispered into his ear.

He just shook his head against my body, his face still covered from my site. He didn't say anything as he turned slowly, getting off the bed, grabbing his jacket and putting it on.

He was almost at the door as he stopped and turned back to me. Rushing back to my side he gently placed his hands against my cheeks as he pulled me in for a passionate, curl your toes kind of kiss. I wrapped my arms around him drinking in his delicious cinnamon flavor. His arms wrapped around my back gently lifting me off the bed bringing my body flush against his. Had it not been for the four other bodies in the room clearing their throats at the same time, I'm sure we would have continued with this heated exchange until it became embarrassing. As he sat me gently back down onto the bed, us both gasping for air, he sad the most wonderful thing I think he's ever said to me.

"You are the best part of me. Without you I am nothing. I love you with all of my heart, Pea." With that he turned and slowly made his way out of the room. I turned to the face the others, my fingers running slowly over my swollen, well kissed lips.

"And to think, I spent $25.00 at Blockbuster just to get the best romance classics money could buy when all I had to really do was come to your room, where I could get the absolute best one for free? I feel so ripped off," Alice huffed crossing her arms over her chest giving a small fake pout as we all started to giggle.

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_AN: Ok so how was it? Good, bad….go back to high school and take SEVERAL English classes? LOL Grizzly…did the Prozac work or are you fuming with the need to correct all my errors? LOL. J/k _

_I hope that each and every one of you, my wonderful readers, has a terrific and blessed Thanksgiving. Don't forget to eat all of the turkey you want before Jacob and the boys come over and "wolf" it down…ha ha get it…wolf it down LOL…I crack myself up!_


	18. Chapter 18

**Twilight: Owned completely by Stephenie Meyer. What a wonderful story with deeply loved characters.**

_AN: I'll keep this brief. I hope you enjoy another look at Edward's POV. And I think the ending is leading all of us closer to where we want to be…..getting an answer for whom the Killer really is. I know Edward was excited about it LOL. _

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EPOV

As I walked out of Bella's hospital room that morning, a sense of relief washed over me. I gave some brief, but stern, instructions to the agent at her door before continuing on. Since this all started a week ago, I had come to an understanding of the different kinds of hurdles we would have to overcome. This felt like one of the bigger ones.

Bella was clean, she was healthy, that monster didn't take that from her, from us. Although my truest desire was always that Bella remain healthy and happy; it would never change how I felt about her or what I saw our future turning out to be together. I was going to be by her side till the day she or I died. Whether that meant in the near future, or sixty years down the road when we were both old and gray. She is my life. And nothing was going to change that short of Bella herself.

As I walked down the stairs - opting for them instead of the elevator to give me some more time to clear my head and allow everything that just happened to register fully - I noticed from one of the landing windows a couple getting up from the picnic area walking towards the parking lot. Normally this wouldn't have caught my attention but I recognized the nurse as being, Victoria. The flaming red mass of hair would give her away anywhere. She must have just gotten done with her shift not long ago. The person she was talking too I couldn't really see. Just their pants legs were showing, the rest being hidden from view by the trees. But at least she looked happy.

I continued on down the stairs, flipping open my phone as I hit the second floor landing. Emmett and Jasper were both on my speed dial so I dialed one before conferencing in the other. I asked them both to meet me at the station house. Great news like this was best shared with the whole family. Bella wouldn't mind, in fact she probably expected me to share it with the guys. She'd been so emotional lately with everything going on I don't think she would have wanted to see her big brother tear up over this.

Stepping out into the cool morning air I took a deep, cleansing breath. For the first time, it felt like I could take a deep breath without it hurting both literally and figuratively. Since this all started my shoulders were tied in knots, and most times a deep breath felt impossible to really take in. I woke up a few nights with what must have been my left arm having gone to sleep because I had little pin needles prickling up and down it. But I hear to much stress can have a really odd effect on your body so I wasn't going to put to much into it right now. I had Bella to worry about, I would worry about a numb finger later.

As I jogged over to the Volvo, I made sure to look back over my shoulder to the window of Bella's fourth floor room. Ever since she caught me that one time walking around the hospital, trying to give her some alone time, I knew that she often looked for me when I left the building. This time was no different. There, my angel was standing at her window, fingers pressed to the glass in a small wave before blowing me a kiss goodbye. I pretended to catch it and save it in my pocket for later, which I could tell caused her to giggle. Ok corny, maybe, but whatever makes my Bella smile was well worth any dramatics I had to put forth.

Pulling out of the parking space, I couldn't help but notice Victoria's red mustang GT was still sitting there. My sister, Rosalie ran a small customizing business for cars and had spent quite a lot of time on that piece of metal. I remember her saying, and I quote, "If that airhead even scratches this beautiful machine, especially with all of the extra time I've put into it, then I'll pull off HER tailpipes." Victoria must have left with whomever she had been talking too.

The drive to the station was pretty quick, so it didn't take long for all of us to congregate there. Charlie had set up a small office with a double desk in it for Emmett and I to use, although he made it clear that anything in the station house was really at our disposal. He has always been so supportive of both of our career choices. He said that having one son follow after his footsteps was something to be proud of but to have two, well proud just didn't fit, it was to simple of a word.

I could have easily gone into medicine. Lord knows I followed around in my father's footsteps since the day I was old enough to walk. But there was just something about police work that intrigued me. Working a crime scene, putting the puzzle pieces together to come up with a solution. I was just really into that sort of thing. I had actually taken quite a few medical courses while in college, which seemed to please my father, but nothing to earn a degree as of yet. But Carlisle was great about it. He never seemed to be hurt or disappointed by my career path. He knew I was my own man and I had to find my own path, whatever that may be.

So when I chose the Police Academy, over Columbia University for medicine, Carlisle didn't put down my choice or call me foolish for my decision. No, he just told me whatever I set my mind to, too be sure to give it 110% or don't bother doing it at all. Because if I wasn't willing to do something well, then there really was no reason to put forth the effort.

As I walked in Charlie's office, I found Emmett, Charlie and Jasper all sitting around his desk, nursing their own cups of coffee. I couldn't help but chuckle. I had just walked in on Rose, Dorothy and Blanche, my own personal Golden Girls. Yeah, you caught me. I had the Golden Girls on the brain this morning. But it wasn't my fault really. What else were you to think about when you spent the majority of the night watching a nonstop marathon with your girlfriend of her favorite show?

I took a seat next too Emmett, shrugging off my blazer, getting more comfortable.

"Thank you guys for meeting me here before we head out. As I mentioned on the phone, I have something I really need to share with you." I sat forward in my seat rubbing my palms against my pants legs before going on. I wasn't certain how to really say what I needed too, other than being completely blunt and direct.

"Bella's test results came back this morning." I saw all three men take a quick breath in. "Aside from some mild side affects from the tetanus vaccine she received, she's absolutely, 100%, perfect." The smile on my face was so wide it actually was starting to hurt a little. But I couldn't help it. I was happy. Beyond happy I was relieved and I was going to show it. Today was going to be a good day I could feel it. It had already started off right with Bella's good news. I just knew we'd get a big break today, good news comes in threes right?

As everyone breathed a sigh of relief over the good news I noticed Charlie had gotten up and walked to his office window, staring out.

"Charlie, are you ok?" I walked over to him, I wanted to help the man I considered my second father in anyway I could. He looked so, I'm not sure what the word was. Not down or unhappy by any means. But it was hard to put a name to it. Thoughtful, maybe?

"Edward, can I ask you a question?" The expression on his face told me that it was rhetorical to have asked because he wanted an answer no matter what. So instead of answering I just nodded.

"What would you have done had Bella's tests not come back clear?" The room grew silent and I knew that Emmett and Jasper were both waiting for my response.

When Carlisle explained to me about all of the testing that he had put Bella through, I knew that I had to prepare myself for the worst. Truth be told, I had considered my reaction to a positive result for a few days now. What would I do?

"Charlie, I would have done the only thing that I've ever known to do. And that's to love Bella with every fiber of my being. I know it may seem easy to say that now, knowing she's healthy, but I really do mean it. I don't think I'd know how to live my life without loving Bella. I've done it for so long. She's been my best girl for almost two decades. I could never just walk away from that. I don't just love her with my heart, I love her with my soul, my very existence."

I tried so hard to convey the sincerity of my words through my expression. Charlie must have seen, in my face, what he needed in order to believe me because he simply wrapped his big, gruff hand around the back of my neck pulling me towards him for an awkward hug.

"I don't think I could have ever chosen a better man for my daughter than you, Edward. And I'm sorry, if I don't tell you that enough." His voice broke slightly at the end. After a few more brief moments of silence he dropped his arms and turned, gazing distantly again out the office window.

Looking back I could see Emmett quickly wiping the corner of his eye before straightening up, afraid of getting caught actually tearing up. Since Bella's attack we had all gotten far more emotional at odd times than we ever had in the past. Our feelings and nerves were just so raw, so exposed because of what had happened. It was a lot to take in, much less accept. The sweetest, most gentle person in our family had been hurt in a vicious way and it was proving hard for all of us to deal with emotionally.

Swallowing the lump of tears that was forming in the back of my throat I walked quickly back to my messenger bag that I had brought. Pulling out the wire notebook that held most of my notes I began to review with the guys.

"I want us to head out today to visit those three shops that Emmett pulled up for us a few days ago. Jasper, Emmett and I both agree that it would be beneficial if you went with us. I hear sometimes these guys can be a bit tight lipped, especially to law enforcement, about their clientele and I need all the cooperation I can get today."

Jasper's curly blonde locks swayed as he nodded his head in agreement. "Most don't mean to be that way, but then again sometimes they actually are working with some rather colorful characters. So cooperative or not, I'd be ready to be met with a few cold shoulders if nothing else."

Emmett gave a small snort of laughter at this, cracking his knuckles slowly. "Well, we will just have to warm them up if any of them are too cold shouldered." The big grin on his face told me he wasn't serious - technically law enforcement wasn't allowed to use aggressive force to get information - but a little "nudge" here or there in the right direction usually didn't hurt. If you've ever been "nudged" by Emmett then you understand most times you walk away with some body part being very sore from the experience.

"If it's alright with both of you I'd like to start at the furthest place and work our way back. That way we won't be so far out from home come night fall."

"Is Bella still forcing you to come stay at the house with us boys tonight, Edward?" The smirk on Charlie's face told me he knew the answer, and that I had been beat, but was going to make me say it anyway. Apparently, Bella had called yesterday during one of my hour jogs around the building, filling Charlie in on her plan to get me out of the hospital for a while. He was given direct instructions NOT to allow me to talk him into letting me go back to the hospital. I was to have a boys night at the house with Emmett, Jasper and Charlie - pizza, beer, and a baseball game were on tap. I wasn't even allowed to return to the hospital, till I had finished my mandatory male bonding time and gotten a decent nights sleep.

"You know it's really not fair to team up on me with your daughter. She has quite enough pull over me as it is, she doesn't need back-up." Emmett must have noticed the smirk on my face because he and Jasper chimed in.

"Oh don't be such a party pooper, Edward. It will be fun. Besides, Bella will be doing practically the same thing we will be doing tonight too. So try to relax." Jasper was trying to offer comfort I know, but it wasn't helping all that much. I didn't like being away from my Bella and I wasn't happy about it. But if that is what Bella wanted then I would find a way and make due.

"Bella's got beer in the hospital? What did they do sneak it in with the IV bags?" Emmett snickered at his own joke, as I rolled my eyes I couldn't help but smile. He was often such a big kid at heart.

I packed up my notes, and we each proceeded to pack up any extra equipment and gear that we would need. Today was going to be a long day. But I had a good feeling about it. It wouldn't be wasted. Today would be a breaking point in this case. I just felt it in my bones.

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Ok so maybe my bones haven't got a clue. We had visited two of the three shops already and at both places we were met with so much hostility and coldness you would have thought we were performing a raid or something. The people there apparently could smell law enforcement coming a mile away and made sure the room was clear, well before we entered. At both places, there was only one person on duty to stand guard over the cash register. And at both places, even Jasper couldn't soften them up to talk. One girl at the last place even had the nerve to call him a traitor under her breath, for what I'm not entirely sure.

I was now sitting in the back seat, having given up shotgun to Jasper, so I could sort though all of the notes I had taken about each place. We might not have been given a lot of help, but I made sure to be very detailed in my search and my observations. If I had too I would put surveillance on both places if I felt there was a potential lead.

We had been going strong for several hours, only having stopped at a sandwich place for a quick bite to eat and to stretch our legs. I'd called Bella just after finishing lunch and found that she was having a great time with my mother and sisters. Apparently each one was giving her some form of pedicure or manicure. The funny part was they couldn't share the bottle of nail polish and be busy at the same time, so her left foot toenails were fire engine red, her right was royal blue, and her left hand was going to be jet black. They hadn't decided her right hand color yet, that was the one she was using to hold her phone. I just shook my head mockingly with a huge smile on my face…women…go figure.

It didn't bother me what color her nails were painted. Nail polish was just a tad bit to girly for even me to grasp. But I'd buy shares in Revlon, keeping them constantly stocked in nail polish, as long as I continued to hear the glorious sound I was currently hearing. Bella's laughter was the most wonderful sound to my ears. It always did something to my heart making it flutter and caused a warmth to spread through my whole body. She sounded as though she was having a wonderful time and I was not about to dampen it. So, all though I had promised to keep her informed on everything about the case, I chose to keep our progress, or lack there of, a secret for right now. Let her have her light and airy day. She deserved it.

Now we were headed to a small shop located just on the La Push reservation. As we pulled into the parking lot, filled with motorcycles of all sizes, it dawned on us all why the name of the shop rang a bell. "Best By Black" was owned and operated by none other than Billy Black.

Back in our high school days, Billy Black was Forks High's most season winning football coach ever. The boys on the football team were referred to as "the Pack" because Billy taught that each member of the team was your brother. And if you aren't willing to defend your brother, then the family, the pack, would fail. And failure was not in Billy's vocabulary. Emmett and Jasper both keep in close contact with every member of the senior year team they finished with. They even had a little reunion of sorts every year just to hang out, drink beer and reminisce about old times. Billy, had always been after me to join the team, but after seeing my performance in the water and on the track, he understood that speed rather than bulk was my thing.

Getting out of the car, adjusting the strap to my bag on my shoulder, all three of us walked slowly to the store. Upon entering, a bell chimed over head signaling newcomers. As we all filed in, the room grew oddly silent. The door shut ominously behind us with a louder than normal thud. Seven sets of eyes turned to stare in our direction each one more penetrating than the next. I could see out of the corner of my eye Jasper and Emmett both visibly flexing, rolling their shoulders slightly.

As we stood there, one of the men that had previously been staring at us slowly got up. Standing to his full height he had to have been a good 6'5. His long black hair fell in a pony tail down his back, and his massive arms - arms that rivaled even Emmett's bull like strength - flexed as he walked slowly towards us. The tattoo's covering his arms stood our distinctly against his russet colored skin - going from wrist to shoulder - held quite the story if you ever were allowed time to study them. The coal black eyes that were staring back at us looked like onyx. He stopped just a foot away from Emmett, slowly appraising him, giving him the once over before flashing the widest set of white teeth imaginable.

Emmett ducked, just barely missing the arm that swung up to grab his neck into a vice grip. Instead he moved so swiftly wrapping his own forearm around the head of Jacob Black, effectively securing him and giving him a noogie. Jacob screamed like a girl in protest.

"Easy on the hair you big ox." Jacob laughed pushing Emmett off, effectively causing the rest of the room to break out into hoops and hollers of welcome and greeting. Five of the seven people - Jared, Embry, Sam, and Paul - had been previous teammates of Jasper and Emmett's and very close friends of both Bella and mine. We grew up with this rowdy bunch of hooligans. The other two were just as close if not certainly family, Leah and Emily.

As we carried on talking - horsing around and just randomly catching up - the deep gruff voice I had come to know so well over the years could be heard coming closer from the back of the shop.

"Lord help us all when you boys get together. Rarely is anything left standing in your wake." I turned around to be greeted by the smiling face of Billy Black. Reaching out I grabbed his hand, shaking it firmly, before he wheeled towards my brothers to greet them as well. Billy had been in a wheelchair for the past three years. One late, December afternoon, someone came to the store and robbed him at gun point. They later caught the guy and asked him why he had shot Billy, especially since he had willingly given up the money from the register. The perp claimed it was because Billy hadn't moved fast enough when he had demanded the money.

It still rubbed me raw that Billy was stuck in that chair, he had always been such an active man. But after that first year of acclimating himself to his new situation, he really seemed to adjust well. I hardly ever saw him without a smile on his face and he was still one of the best damn tattoo artist his people ever had. Tribal tattoos were his specialty but he still got the occasional "pale face" as he called them, that would build up the courage to cross the reservation line and get the famous Billy Black to set their ink. Billy was very much like Jasper. He had quite the reputation and following.

"You are looking good Billy." I meant it. It really looked like things were going good for him.

"Yeah I can't complain, I'm still dancing. Old Jacob here keeps asking me about Bella," a blush crossed Jacob's face as he ducked his head. Old crushes die hard. "How's she doing son?" The concern was plainly written on Billy face. Bella was like another daughter to him. He had been friends with Charlie for years and had known Bella since she was born. Jacob was two years younger than Bella and had always had a childhood crush on her. But now that he was dating Leah, he rarely ever looked at another woman.

I rubbed the back of my neck, examining the tops of my shoes for a moment trying to figure a way to word it correctly. "She's doing the best she can, all things considered. But, you know Bella," I shrugged my shoulders, giving a small smile, not really sure what more could be said.

"We can come see her sometime soon right?" Emily had stepped forward with Leah more interested now in the change of conversation when it switched to Bella.

"Of course, in fact I think she would love that. She's going to be stuck in the hospital for probably another week and could use the company."

Billy turned around and wheeled himself over to the low countertop near the register where Jacob had pulled up a stool. "So what brings you boys out this evening?"

"Actually Billy," you could tell by Emmett's voice he hated to dampen the light hearted mood that everyone was in at the moment. "We were hoping you could give us some help on Bella's case."

Billy's eyebrows raised up on his forehead in shock. "Of course, but what kind of help can I be?"

"Well the guy that we are looking for seems to have a thing for tattooing his victims. Apparently this time, he didn't plan very well and he ran out of supplies before he could finish." Jasper had leaned casually against the countertop, legs crossed at his ankles, arms over his chest. "And we are hoping that he was stupid enough actually want to complete his work correctly."

We had all talked before leaving the station house exactly how much information we could give out without divulging to much. I didn't want to risk this ever being thrown out of court one day on a technicality.

"So you are thinking he might have left to restock?" The shock and disgust in Jacob's voice was evident. "Could this asshole really be that stupid?" There was a loud swap, as Jacob was knocked in the back of the head by Billy. "Language, Jacob."

All three of us couldn't help but smirk, before straightening back up. Esme, Carlisle, and Charlie were all the same way. We'd received so many swaps on the back of the head growing up, it's a wonder we didn't suffer from permanent whiplash.

"Well that is what we are hoping." Jasper finished. A long sigh escaping from him before he continued. "But we aren't having much luck to be honest. There are only three shops on record within a 100 mile radius that sells what we are looking for and the first two places we visited were a bust."

Fishing in my notes, I brought out a copy of the sketch that both Jackie and Esme had been able to agree upon that looked the most like the man they had both seen that night.

"He would have come in here just a little over a week ago. Looking for a particular ink called Golden Illusion. Your website listed you as being a vendor of that color and he needed more of it to finish." I couldn't complete my sentence…_Bella's tattoo. _

Although I had no problem looking at it, talking about it was different. I don't know why, but it just seemed to make it so much more real when you talked about it. The thought made my chest tighten uncomfortably.

"Golden Illusion? Are you kidding me? That stuff is way expensive. I just outline a tat in that and it yanks the price up a hundred bucks." Jacob passed the sketch absentmindedly to Billy without really taking a look.

"I know. But it would have been very important to him to have finished and finished correctly." I settled down onto a spare stool, loosening my tie, waiting for them to review the information that I had. "Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated, both personally and professionally." I couldn't stop the desperation from appearing on my face as I looked at Jacob.

Billy was silent as he glared at the sketch. I could see his fingers were gripping the picture so tightly that it started to tear at the edges. "Jacob." Billy rolled over to the small laptop computer that was sitting off to the side on an adjoining countertop near the register.

Jacob hopped quickly off his seat joining his father. "Do you remember that guy that came in here Sunday right before we closed?" Jacob's eyes widened with understanding as his large fingers began tapping away at the keyboard pulling up files.

"You say he was looking for Golden Illusion?" I nodded my head anxiously anticipating where this was all heading. "There was this man, that came in Sunday around 10:00 right when we were about to close. He was really insistent about getting that ink. He said he was working on a very important project and that I was the closest place listed as a broker of it. I guess he saw the same information you did from our website." Billy looked back over to the computer that Jacob was still flipping through files on.

Both men stopped, Billy reaching up to place the sketch I had given him next to the computer screen. "I'll be damned!"

By this time everyone still in the room was standing close to the counter, waiting to see what Billy and Jacob had found. Emmett and Jasper were both gripping the wooden countertop so hard I think I actually heard their nails start to dig into it. We were all impatiently waiting to hear what would cause Billy to curse. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding after Jacob turned the laptop around to face us.

"Is this the asshole you were looking for?" His eyes had turned even darker than normal and his brow was pulled together in a severe frown. This time there was no swap to Jacob's head from Billy. His comment was pretty tame for what we were all feeling and thinking in that moment.

Staring back at me, were the very same cold dead eyes that I had been staring at in the sketch earlier. On the screen before me stood the grainy image of the very man I had been tracking.

"I got you, you son of a bitch," I growled through my teeth, slamming my hand down on the countertop.

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_AN: Ok I love how I ended that chapter. I confess the cliffies are one of my favorites and this is a GREAT one! Even if I do say so myself LOL. I think suspense wise it's one of my better ones…again even if I do say so myself. I wanted to get it posted and up soon. I hope you enjoy it._

_And I hope each of you had a safe and great Thanksgiving. _

_I think everyone should be blessed with having a best friend like Alice. And as Alice would say "Show me the love…." and review LOL. _


	19. Chapter 19

**Twilight is owned completely by Stephenie Meyer....darn the luck!**

_AN: Ok my sweet, loveable, wonderful readers....here's another chapter for you. Hope you like it. _

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?POV

_Someone stop the torture please!_

I had been listening to Victoria rattle on and on about nothing for almost two hours now. Each time she would tell me something new that was supposed to be funny, and I would have to feign interest. If I had to fake one more laugh I was going to go out of my fucking mind.

Finally she seemed to be done with her pancakes. She may be petite, but she can put away the fucking food. The dark-haired waitress came over and gave us the check not long after Victoria had finally put down her fork. It didn't escape my notice the look that I got from her as she passed me, her index finger slowly caressing my hand as she slid me the check, before proceeding on to the next table.

Victoria, thankfully, missed the exchange completely. She was too busy making sure she didn't miss a crumb of the "All You Can Eat" buffet we were currently sitting through. I swear, when we left, the restaurant was seriously going to be reconsidering that particular menu option.

"So what shall we do now?" Her voice was irritatingly cheerful, but I suppressed my cringe and just gave a delightful smile back to her, leaving the table open for suggestions.

She tapped the tip of her perfectly French-manicured nail against her chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

_Deep thought, HA. I'll bet you anything the deepest thinking she's ever done is ponder how Spongebob could have a campfire lit while living underwater._

I couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped and Victoria, in all her "perceptiveness," caught it.

"What's so funny?," she asked with a waiting smile, expecting to be let in on the joke.

"It's nothing really," I hedged. "You'll think I'm stupid for even thinking of it."

But her doe like eyes still gazed at me expectantly.

_Oh what the hell, just tell her._

"I know it's silly to even be thinking of it but, I was watching a TV show this morning and the episode just popped into my head for some reason."

"Oh really, what show?" _Dear god she's going to make me say it._

"Spongebob." I cringed at my own lack of imagination.

From the other side of the table Victoria began to squeal, giggle, clap her hands, and bounce in her seat, all while sporting the biggest fucking grin.

_Oh my god, she watches the show. I guess I was right. _

"I LOVE that show," she said as she glanced down at her watch, "And it's actually going to start again in about half an hour. I don't have a lot more to do besides housework and watching TV during the day, since most of my shifts lately are at night," she explained sheepishly, as though that would explain away her over-exuberance at the mere mention of a cartoon.

"You wouldn't maybe want to come back to my place," my ears perked up at this suggestion, "and watch it with me, would you?" And, there goes my hard-on.

_At least it gets me in the house._

"That would be great," I said, looking down at my watch andtrying not to seem overly anxious to get her alone.

"I don't really have anywhere to be for a while. Do you mind though? I mean going over to your house? You barely know me."

_Boy is that the understatement of the century. _

As we got up slowly from the booth, stretching our legs a bit as we headed for the door, she finally gave an off-handed comment with a slight chuckle that made me stumble in my step a little.

"Well it's not like you are a serial killer or anything."

Helping her into the passenger side, I slowly closed the door, resting my hand on the roof before proceeding to the driver's side.

_If you only knew, darlin'. _

* * *

BPOV

Edward had left only moments ago for what I hoped would prove to be a productive day on the job. After Carlisle had given us the good news, we held one another as we cried in relief. I understood my own deep relief, but I didn't realize how heavily this had all been weighing on Edward till that very moment. I held him as he sobbed against my neck. He mumbled several things softly against my skin as I ran my fingers through his drying hair, trying to soothe him, but I only caught the occasional "I love you" as he kissed me over and over again.

As I stood at my hospital window, blowing a goodbye kiss to him, he pretended to catch it in mid air and hide it in his pocket for later. That always made me giggle, because it was such an Edward thing to do. He's told me so many times, "If I can't have anything else in this world, then I'll always want your kisses. There is nothing that compares to them." I sighed deeply, but happily.

_I love Edward so much. _

Esme, Rosalie and Alice began to flitter around my room, setting up for their "girl's day" with me. No boys allowed. Well, with the occasional exception of Carlisle; strictly for medical purposes, of course.

As I turned my attention back to the window, watching his Volvo drive away, my heart began to ache thinking about what kind of toll this was really taking on my Edward. He's always been my rock. So strong. Never allowing weakness to show through his façade unless there was just no way to avoid it. I had to pay closer attention in the future. I couldn't allow him to carry the weight of my worries, as well as his own.

We were a team. Our relationship was a true partnership. It had always been 50/50 all the way. This…event, situation…"accident"… wasn't the right word, as that implied something that wasn't intended to happen. The word "attack" seemed so brutal, it made me cringe just to think of it. Whatever this was called, we would face it head on, as a couple. He was the Carrot to my Pea. He completed me.

No, I didn't come up with that just because Alice had chosen Jerry Maquire as the first movie in our movie marathon. As corny as it sounds, I meant it. Edward has always been the best thing in my life. I knew from the start that the little bronze-haired boy with wire-rimmed glasses - that fell down constantly on his nose - would be my soul-mate for life. From that very first day, we were rarely ever apart.

I shuffled back to my spot on the bed as Esme came to sit with me. She snuggled me close to her side, brushing my hair back from my face, before wrapping her arms around me.

As I settled in, I couldn't help but allow my mind to keep running the same thought over and over again through it. I was clean. I was free from all the unnecessary worrying I had been doing. The flood-gate holding off my dreams of a happy life with Edward broke open. All of a sudden flashes of green-eyed children with his beautiful bronze hair running around in our yard playing happily, came to view.

I saw a vision of Edward in a nursery, rocking our baby to sleep. His head would be tilted down, close to our son or daughter, crooning gently as he sang them our song.

I imagined waking up every morning to his tousled hair and the way his lips slightly puckered as he slept, like he was waiting for a kiss.

It was all just too much. My heart felt like it was over-flowing with so many wonderful thoughts. Tears started forming in my eyes and I tried desperately to keep them at bay, but Esme noticed anyway, and just pulled me closer. I had a feeling she knew what I was thinking about.

We spent the majority of the morning watching the movie. After it was over, Rosalie called for take-out, which I'm sure was against hospital policy, but once we saw our delivery man, I knew no one would object.

Carlisle walked in around noon carrying three very large bags of Japanese from my favorite steak house. We all gave him a kiss on the cheek for not complaining about the delivery, even offering to have him join us. He jokingly waved us off saying that he was already forewarned by Alice not to encroach on the "girls only" day, but that he would be back in later to check on us.

Was it wrong that I felt wonderful? I had my family, my closest friends, and the man I loved. It felt like things were settling back down and I was being allowed to be happy again. Even after everything that had happened this past week, I was ok.

Should I be wallowing in self-pity? Yes, I still had issues with my appearance, but Carlisle assured me that over time I'd find a way to come to accept the tattoo and the events surrounding it and move on. I had never been one to allow something to hold me back, so why start with this?

It felt unnatural to be so okay with it all. As I sat and thought about this, a smile growing on my face as I thought about all of the blessings I had in my life, the phone to my room rang. Edward always calls when he's out for any length of time, and it had been several hours since he'd left. I lifted the receiver and offered my most heartfelt greeting. I wanted to hear him laugh.

"Well hello handsome, and just how is your day going?"

There was a pause on the line. I could hear breathing, but nothing else.

My smile was beginning to fade. Unless we had a bad connection, Edward would never just sit there and not say anything.

"That's how you should greet me all the time Isabella," a dark, low voice said.

I couldn't help the gasp that escaped, my eyes widening in shock. Esme turned towards me after hearing it and seemed alarmed at the look on my face.

"Really, my dear Isabella, what would your sweet Edward say if he knew you were being so flirtatious with me? It would break his little heart." The sneer in his voice when he said Edward's name was apparent. I just sat there in shocked silence. What should I do? I noticed Esme walking closer to me, a worried look on her face.

"I really look forward to seeing you again Isabella. Our time was cut so short last time. I'll have to correct that soon."

That snapped me out of my stupor and all of a sudden my blood was boiling.

"You won't get the chance. Come near me again and Edward will rip you apart." My voice cracked towards the end. I was trying so hard not to let fear take over me. He just laughed. Even his laughing seemed dark some-how, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Do you really think your precious Edward can protect you from me, Isabella?" He made a tsk tsking noise, mocking my confidence in Edward.

Rosalie, a few seconds earlier, had run out of the room, only to return a moment later with Carlisle and Charlie close behind her. Everyone stood at the edge of my bed looking at me, watching my reactions. They had all figured out who I was talking to by now.

Gritting my teeth, and mustering up every ounce of courage I seemed to have left in me at that moment, I said the one thing I was most sure of. I wasn't going to allow this monster to disparage Edward or my brother.

My voice was soft but it came out strong and confidant. "I don't know how many times you've done this before, but you made a huge mistake this time by attacking me."

I felt my courage building, and something else. Rage. It seemed to be building inside of my chest and it was starting to roar to be let out.

"You see, by picking me, you also chose to take on my brother and my boyfriend. Now, I know you don't know them very well, but trust me when I say this: They are like a dog with a bone when it comes to something that is important to them." I had to be sure this SOB completely understood this next point. "They won't rest till you suffer for what you did."

The line was silent as I continued my rant of confidence and loyalty to the men in my life. "Somewhere deep down inside, if you are really honest with yourself, you know that this time you've met your match. You are going to be caught, and when you are, I only hope they let you live long enough to suffer the judgment you have coming to you for all of the lives you've ruined."

"Enjoy your moments of freedom while you can."

I didn't allow anything more to be said. I gently laid the receiver back in it's cradle, but I continued to stare at the phone as though it were a snake ready to jump out and bite me.

When it rang again just seconds later, it made just about everyone in the room jump. My dad started to reach for it, but I snatched it up before he could get to it.

"Hello." I tried so hard to not allow my voice to shake as I answered it. My hands were doing enough of that as it was.

"Hello my love. How is your day going so far?" My breath came out in a whoosh. The soft velvety tones of my Edward quickly broke through the tough walls I had just moments ago erected.

"I'm fine Edward. I miss you though." The room audibly relaxed. Rosalie, Alice and Esme all came and sat down on my bed, each of them placing their hand on my arm or leg in support.

"We watched a movie pretty much all morning, and Rosalie ordered take out from that Japanese place we like so much and they started to give me a manicure and a pedicure."

I forced out my laugh, hoping that it was enough to fool Edward into thinking everything was fine. If he thought even just the slightest thing was off, he would be racing back over here to check for himself. He needed today. His work was very important to him and I needed to show him I could be strong on my own for at least one day.

Laughing even more, I recounted how they had started to paint my nails, only to realize they couldn't all be working at the same time with the same bottle, so my feet and hands were all a different color.

The soft chuckle that left Edward's lips filled my heart with a warmth that I desperately needed right then. I got the feeling, however, that when he filled me in on his day he was leaving something out. I guess it was only fair, as I had no intention of telling him about my phone call, at least not yet.

He did mention, though, that he had one more shop to visit and then he would be heading back to the station to do some paperwork. I reminded him of his promise to stay at Charlie's tonight, even though inside I was crying out for him to be stubborn and force me to let him come back to the hospital to stay. I half expected an argument with promises of him being "a good boy" if I let him come back, but with a long sigh that was impossible not to hear, he gave in, saying he wasn't sure how much sleep he would get without me, but that he would try.

After telling me three times how much he loved me and didn't deserve someone as wonderful as me; to which of course I had to remind him I was the lucky one who didn't deserve him, and not the other way around; he hung up, saying he'd call again before bedtime. As I placed the phone back on the stand, I looked up into the astonished eyes of just about everyone in the room, except those of my father and Carlisle. They were looking back at me with what I could only read as understanding.

"You aren't going to tell him about that….pervert," Alice stumbled for the right words to say before proceeding, "calling you and trying to torture you over the phone?" The incredulousness in her voice was definitely there, and I can't say that I blamed her for feeling this way.

"No, I'm not." I glanced over at my father and Carlisle who were standing close together, already knowing the answer. "Edward has far too much going on right now to worry about me.

Besides, I will tell him, just not right now. He needs today. If you haven't noticed, he's been feeling very unhelpful these past few days." I shifted a bit in the bed as Esme came and placed her arm back around my shoulders.

"Oh, he's just being silly," she said with a wave of her hand before plopping her tiny body down on the edge of the bed, sitting cross-legged.

"No. He's being Edward," Esme said, with a smile and so much love shining on her face, it made me smile. She understood.

"Alice, you know Edward. Since the day he met Bella, he's gone out of his way to try to make things better for her. So for him to have to sit back and just wait, to have to watch her go through so much of this on her own…it must be driving him nuts." Rosalie gave me a small smile of understanding.

Alice turned back to me, still determined to argue the point.

"All I'm saying is when you DO finally tell him, he's not going to be too happy that you waited." Her sigh of resignation that I had been waiting for, finally came. "But I can see your point too. So if you feel that it's best he doesn't know anything about it till later, he won't hear it from me." She then pretended to zip her lip and throw away the key, before giving me a small comforting smile.

"Dad." I looked over to where he and Carlisle had quietly been talking, far too low for me to hear.

"He won't hear it from me, but Bells, don't keep it from him too long. I know from experience he won't take it well if you do."His dark eyebrows furrowed together, remembering something from long ago.

I looked down at my hands, fumbling with the edge of the sheets, not really sure how to proceed through this awkward tension that seemed to have filled the room.

Alice's tinkling voice broke the silence. "Charlie, what brings you here today? Did you miss my memo or was there something about it that was unclear?" She crossed her arms over her chest, giving a look that had even my father backing up a bit.

He squared his shoulders a bit before addressing Alice. He tried to give her his best stern, "means-business" look. "No, Alice. I didn't, but girl's day only or not, I would think I'd be allowed to see my only daughter for a few minutes, don't you?"

She seemed to think about this for a few minutes, tapping the tip of her finger against her chin. "Oh, alright," she sighed, giving a mock frown to Charlie again before continuing, "but make it quick, I've got tons more planned and you are seriously causing me to rearrange my schedule."

Alice hopped off the bed and headed for the door, but briefly darted over and gave Charlie a peck on the cheek. He just rolled his eyes, smiling. I might be his only blood-related daughter, but Alice and Rosalie were the next best things, and Charlie adored Alice. I was fairly certain that even with as honest as my father was, if Alice had committed murder, somehow he'd make sure she would get away with it.

After about twenty minutes, my father decided to cut his visit short and head back to the station. The fact that for the last five of those minutes, Alice had been slowly rapping her nails against my door impatiently didn't escape the attention of either of us. I just shook my head. Alice. Gotta love her.

He kissed my forehead in goodbye before exiting, passing Alice, Rose, and Esme on his way out. As the door slowly closed, you could hear his soft chuckle at what I could only assume was a look Alice was casting him. Her patience at the length of his visit had run out and she was going to be sure Charlie knew about it. He was apparently seriously infringing on her carefully planned-out girl time.

The rest of the day was spent laughing and watching movies. We even managed to work in a bout of Karaoke, which got cut short by the head nurse on duty claiming we were too loud. It was a terrific day, but throughout it all I still missed my Edward. No matter how good of a day I was having, there was a part of my mind that just couldn't shut out _his _words. I knew I was going to have to tell Edward, but not tonight. It could wait till tomorrow.

* * *

?POV

It didn't take long for us to reach Victoria's place once we left the waffle house. As I drove up her long lane, I recognized with great satisfaction just how perfect the location of her house really was. She had to be a good half a mile off of the main road, stuck back in a wooded area. The only house I saw around was the one across the street. The situation was looking better and better.

I parked the car, still playing the part of the perfect gentleman, I got out and walked around the front of the car to open Victoria's door. She was eating this politeness shit up. As she led the way into the house, I made sure to make a mental note of my surroundings. Yes, this place would work out nicely for what I had planned for her.

Since Bella decided to leave me, my frustration level had been reaching new heights. I wanted, no needed, to have some release soon. Victoria would have to do. After entering, she began giving me a little tour of her home. Most of the rooms didn't interest me, except for the kitchen.

_Butcher knife, very handy. That makes a nice even cut when used correctly. Duct tape, even better. Just how I like I. Supplies right at my finger__tips. Really, Victoria, you are making this too easy._

She ended the tour with the living room, offering me a seat and telling me to make myself at home. _Oh I plan to, sweet cheeks._

As she excused herself to the kitchen to get some cold drinks, I asked about the location of the bathroom. After quietly closing the door and putting on the faucet to create some background noise, I pulled out my cell to make a phone call. Earlier, I had programmed in the number to the hospital, knowing full well I'd use it later. There was no way that I could miss the opportunity to hear my angel's voice, and I knew she'd be anxiously waiting to hear from me. By now I'm sure she was tired of that ass fawning over her so much.

I was quickly transferred in to her room line. The sweet voice of my angel filled my ears as she answered, but I could tell that it wasn't me she was expecting to hear from. For a moment, I wasn't sure what to say exactly. Never before, with all of women I'd had, was there ever one who made me doubt my actions as much as Isabella. I decided that if she was going to play with me, then I'd play with her.

"Really, my dear Isabella, what would your sweet Edward say if he knew you were being so flirtatious with me? It would break his little heart." I despised having to say that fucker's name out loud. He currently had access to my woman, and actually had the nerve to try to keep her from me. Even thinking about him made my stomach turn.

"I really look forward to seeing you again, Isabella. Our time was cut so short last time. I'll have to correct that soon." Looking in the bathroom mirror now, I grinned widely at my reflection. Yes, I would have my time with Isabella again very soon, and I'd try my hardest to forgive her actions from that night, but she would have to be punished in some way.

What came over the line next caught me a bit off-guard. Isabella was actually defiant to me. She warned me about her dearly beloved Edward and that retard of a brother Emmett, and how I was going to pay for my actions. With each passing phrase, my blood began to boil that much more. I tightened the grip on my phone as a growl escaped my throat. She was pissing me off to no end, and she really didn't want to do that.

I didn't get another word in edgewise as she ended the conversation, telling me to "enjoy my freedom while I could."

Are you fucking kidding me? She actually believed they would catch me? Apparently my Isabella did not realize who she was talking to. I had been doing this for over ten years and not once did any form of law enforcement come even close to catching me. There was no way Fuckward and Brother Bear were going to catch me.

I snapped my phone shut and glared into the mirror at my reflection again. I'll fucking show you, Isabella, who the better man is. Then I'll spend hours fucking some sense into that pretty little head of yours.

The banging around from the kitchen broke me from the daydream of what I was going to do to my angel. I opened the door and stood there watching as Victoria scrambled back and forth from kitchen; to bedroom; to living room; throwing clothes, dishes, anything out of place or dirty, into hiding places. It was really quite cute. She must have heard me or saw me standing there from the corner of her eye, because she stopped, suddenly blushing furiously as she realized she had been caught tidying the house. I didn't fucking care what the house looked like. The bedroom was where I would be heading. The rest of the shit could sit and rot for all I cared.

Standing there, twirling a strand of hair nervously, she started to speak, but before she could really get anything out, I walked over and gently cupped her face in my hands before pressing my lips to her mouth.

A strange sensation ran through me. It took me a moment to figure out what it was. I actually fucking _liked_ kissing her. Pushing the thought quickly aside, I pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss. She was holding onto my forearms tightly, but I'm sure if she hadn't been, she would have swooned.

Her eyes were slightly open, almost in a sleepy manner. I knew my breath blew gently on her face as I started to speak, and she was completely falling for that shit.

"I've wanted to do that for quite a while," I said softly, my voice a faint whisper as I continued to cup her face so that she had to stare at me.

Biting her bottom lip again gently, she breathlessly offered me another, "Well don't let me stop you from getting what you want." Giving a large smile of satisfaction, which I tried to pass off as astonishment that she had accepted my kiss so eagerly, I dove in for another, wrapping my arms around her body and pressing it into mine.

She moaned softly into my mouth.

_Fuck that went straight to my cock. I bet she can feel that shit pressed against her._

After we broke yet another kiss that left us both gasping, I noticed she gazed down slightly to where our bodies met. I watched as the tip of her tongue slipped slowly out of her mouth to lick her lips before looking back up at me through her lashes.

_That's right, bitch, you feel that piece of meat pressing into you and you fucking want it, don't you? _

I did my best to suppress my grin of satisfaction. I had to play this coy or she might think I had only brought her back to her place just to fuck her. Well, she'd be right, but I couldn't let her think that. This was always the tricky part. We were right where I wanted us to be, but I had to let the next move be hers. That way once we were in the bedroom she couldn't, wouldn't, end up putting the brakes on what she herself had started.

Normally I wouldn't even come close to thinking about a man during a time like this, but I found myself thinking about Fuckward. How would he be looking at Isabella right now to get across exactly how much he wanted to fuck her?

_Shit, am I really trying to copy him again? Oh well, it's worked so far, maybe just a little more of that gentleman bullshit would give me just enough of a boost to finally get her in that fucking bedroom. _

I knew whatever I was doing must have worked, because she started to pull me slowly towards her bedroom. I grinned down at her, letting her know that I wanted this too.

_Spongebob will just have to fucking wait. _

* * *

_AN: So how was that? Don't get fooled by the power that Bella is presenting right now. She's trying her best but I am afraid it won't last long, and the Killer is just getting started with his method of torture for both her and Edward. _

_Thank you to my new beta Irritable Grizz...she's a little kookie...but who doesn't love a kookie beta LOL. Plus I think she's channeling Alice because she's almost completely gotten my whole story figured out....or does she? (wicked laugh)_


	20. Chapter 20

**Twilight is a delightful piece of writing. Sadly I don't own it, but I'd love too. Stephenie Meyer does...darn the luck!**

_AN: This was written in honor of my current beta her royal awesomeness Irritable Grizzly, for her 12th__ birthday. (HA HA HA……. ) I hope you had a wonderful time meeting the Australian Hotness tonight. Can't wait to hear all the juicy details. _

_Oh and I can't resist this….Happy Birthday Too (To) you…Happy Birthday To (Too) you….Happy Birthday Dear Grizzly…..Happy Birthday TOO (TO) YOUUUUU!!!!!_

_To those of you who are reading my story, both the anonymous readers and those that I can respond too; Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read my writing. It means so much that you are interested in what I have come up with. And I hope that as this journey continues you will stay intrigued._

_And thank you to all of you who list me as a "Favorite". As one of my loyal reviewers would say "it warms my little black heart" to know you are out there listening and caring enough to send your very best. Ok so I borrowed that last bit from Hallmark LOL. _

* * *

EPOV

I leaned against the side of the car and stared intently at the face on the page. Seeing him in color, with absolute features, sent a chill down my spine.

Did Bella look into his eyes at some point? Did she see the sneer he unknowingly cast towards Billy's camera? I gave a heavy sigh. I needed to get back to the hospital to show the picture to Esme and Jackie for a positive ID.

Emmett and Jasper were still inside saying their goodbyes to Billy and all of the guys. I had to get out of there to get some air. After Jacob turned the computer around to face us, the tightness in my chest returned and the deep breathing I was doing was going to make me pass out. I knew there was no way I could keep this from Bella. As soon as she got wind of the fact that I had a sketch of the guy, she would demand to see it.

She had been so strong throughout this whole thing. Yes, she had the occasional bout of tears and the small panic attack, but not the real breakdown she deserved or that I expected. I just hoped that when it got to the point when she really did break down, that we could face it together.

Bella often didn't recognize her own strength. She always felt like she was the one everyone needed to take care of. True, her coordination wasn't that great and often required her being saved from one potential catastrophe or another, but most of the time she gave the truest example of strength that even Emmett's muscles couldn't match up to. She had strength of spirit and loved completely and unconditionally.

That was just one of the million reasons why I loved her so much. She believed there was good in everyone. I just prayed the recent chain of events didn't change that about her, making her skeptical of people and their motives.

Thinking about Bella always made me feel better. I could feel the tightening in my chest easing off almost immediately. She was like a drug to me, the strongest brand of medicine available. Loving Bella fixed everything that ailed me.

I slowly paced back and forth alongside the car, waiting for Jasper and Emmett to come out. Bella might have made me promise to stay away for the night, but surely she wouldn't be mad if I came by with this kind of news. I looked up from the path I had been wearing down for the past five minutes just as Emmett and Jasper came out of the shop.

To say I was anxious to get going was an understatement. There were so many things to do. We had to get back to the station and fill Charlie in on the latest updates. I needed to create a photo array for mom and Jackie and, on top of all that, there was the paperwork.

God, I hated the paperwork. Because we didn't get much from the first two shops, there really wasn't much to report other than the basics. Had it been the same situation at Billy's, I'd just write up a few pages and be on my way. Now there was evidence to file, reports of the conversation to complete, location information to record, and I would have to get Charlie to pull the previous case file from Billy's store robbery.

Defense attorneys, in my book, were the bottom of the barrel in most cases and they pulled every trick in the book in order to get their clients off scot free, so I had to be sure to have all of my ducks in a row before this case ever left my hands for the district attorney's office. There was a possibility that I would have to later explain how I _conveniently _was able to come up with a photo of who I was sure would turn out to be the killer.

I reached for the notepad in my bag, and started to jot down on my to-do list all of the things I knew had to be covered before I could call it a night. It was always best to get these things done when they were still fresh in my mind, so I couldn't risk waiting till tomorrow.

Looking over my growing list, I knew I would have to split all of this work with Emmett in order to get it finished tonight. Emmett was far more than just the brawn of our team. He had a very sharp mind for detail. I knew that if I entrusted him with the reports, they would be meticulously completed. Emmett could paint you a picture with so much detail that if you closed your eyes, you could almost see it in your head.

As I scanned my list again to see if there was anything I might have forgotten, my phone began to ring. I looked at the caller ID, but the number didn't look familiar.

"Edward Cullen."

"Edward?" The voice was female and vaguely familiar, but for the life of me, I couldn't place it. "This is Caryn Reiss from Port Angeles Realty. How are you doing? I'm sorry it's been a while since I called."

The pieces finally came together.

"Caryn, it's good to hear from you. I tried to stealthy avoid the "how are you doing" question and move quickly on to why she was calling.

"It has been a few weeks since I last spoke to you or Bella, and I wanted to call and give you some news that I hope you will be very pleased to hear."

"Good news would be great today, what's going on?" I tried to keep the tone of my voice light so as to not give any reason for Caryn to ask questions. She was a great lady, very sweet and not much older than Bella and me, but she had a tendency to be overly enthusiastic at times.

By the end of our first visit with her, after we explained the type of house we were looking for, she had us spilling our entire relationship history. She was very enthusiastic about her job.

"_Finding the right home for a person is like finding the perfect pair of shoes. If it's not a comfortable fit right away, then you will never be completely happy. I want you to keep this 'pair of shoes' for generations."_

"The other couple pulled out. The Masens accepted your last offer. The house is yours if you still want it." A huge smile spread over my face as I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Bella loved that house and it would have broken her heart to lose it.

"That's fantastic news," I said just as Emmett and Jasper finally joined me at the car. . I held up my hand to let them know to give me a minute. They listened on intently.

"So where do we go from here? What's the next step?"

"Well I have some final paperwork for you and Bella to sign. The Masens already completed their move to New York. I spoke to them this morning and they said that as long as we proceed with the paperwork in a timely manner, they would have no problem with you taking ownership right away. Now, escrow is going to take about thirty days, and there will be some other odds and ends to wrap up, but other than that, whenever you want to come by and pick up the keys, just say the word."

I knew Caryn enjoyed her job and she knew this house was a dream home for me and Bella, so I knew there would be a smile the size of Texas plastered on her face by now. I guess good news really does come in threes.

"This is perfect timing, Caryn. Thank you so much for all of your hard work. I do have a slight favor to ask, though, if I could. Don't call Bella. I want it to be a surprise.

I knew that by opening this door, I was going to have to explain as much as possible to make sure she understood the importance of keeping this a secret.

"You see, Bella's been in the hospital this past week. Don't worry she's fine. It's just this kind of good news would be a great lift to her spirits and I'd like to keep it for a little while. I was thinking maybe I could move us in and then spring it on her as a welcome home sort of thing."

I knew by her at the mention of the hospital stay, I had her full attention. She agreed whole-heartedly to keep it a secret and that Bella would absolutely love the surprise. As I said goodbye and promised to stop by the next day for the keys, she made me promise to give Bella her love and to tell her to get better soon.

I snapped my cell shut and faced a waiting Emmett and Jasper, who both had shit-eating grins on their faces. Apparently they had figured out from the one-sided conversation exactly what was going on and were both very pleased with the news. Emmett shook his head and gave a chuckle before adding, "You, keeping a secret from Bella. This I gotta see."

Okay, so I tell Bella everything, but that's how a relationship was supposed to work, right? She's been my best girl, and best friend, since I was seven years old. She knew everything about me and I wanted to keep it that way, but I could keep a secret if I wanted to…right?

I shoved all of my notes and the file back into my bag before climbing into the back seat of the car and Emmett turned onto the highway heading back to the station. I explained my game plan to them both, and I gathered by the groans I received that they knew it was going to be a long night.

There was just no erasing the smile on my face. This had to be the best day so far since this whole thing started almost a year ago. We had an actual picture of the guy. I didn't doubt it anymore. I was sure Esme and Jackie would identify him. Which meant it was only a matter of time before I'd have a name. With a name, I'd have access to bank account records, driver's licenses, previous and current residences. It may seem like a cliché, but I felt like a lion waiting to pounce on his prey that had walked right into its trap.

Before we left, Emmett emailed the file that he downloaded from Jacob's computer to the bureau. The FBI had access to a program that could check nationwide, even international databases of images of faces. It was similar to FERET; a facial recognition program that the DOD had started up back in the mid nineties, except this program accessed everything.

Every time you step up to an ATM, it takes a picture or video of you. Pull up to a traffic light in a certain city and there are cameras taking your picture. Even your cell phone can be used to find you. GPS tracking is old news compared to all of the new technology coming out today, but it still worked pretty well. Most cellular technology had some form of tracking. Even if you were reduced to just pinging off of towers while the user was on the phone that would at least get you within a fifty-mile radius of their location. Then all you had to do was play it cool and pray that your suspect didn't get wind of you in the area and run.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the station, I swear I felt like a little boy rushing in to show his dad the latest "A" he had gotten on a really difficult test. All three of us raced into the station house and were pulled up short as we entered, nearly running into Charlie who had been leaning against the front desk.

Ever the cop, he analyzed the smirks on our faces before asking us anything. Snagging his thumbs into the loops of his belt, he released an easy grin, "Looks like you boys must have had a productive day. Do you have some good news to tell me?"

"Do we ever, Pop!" Emmett was just bursting to tell someone the new information. "You'll never believe it either."

Charlie looked from Emmett to me and rocked on his heels in growing impatience. I pulled the file from my bag and flipped open to the page I had attached the photo to before laying it down on the desktop.

"Now, of course we have to get a positive ID from Jackie and my mom but," I paused letting my words sink in before continuing. "Charlie, this is the guy we believe attacked and kidnapped Bella and the other girls."

Charlie picked up the file, staring intently at the face on the page. He looked deep in thought for a moment, "Do you have a name yet?"

"No, Emmett emailed the information to the office in Seattle and they are working on it from the database there. It will probably be several hours, if not days, before we have his actual name. Depending on how long he's been at this, I'm sure he's racked up quite a few aliases. It will take some time to weed through them."

He nodded his head in understanding - Charlie had worked on similar cases like this before having to use the FBI databases for information, so he was aware of the delays we could run across as each piece of material was picked through to find a positive match.

The computers were very helpful, generating results sometimes as close as 95%, but even some of those matches could lead you on a wild goose chase. It could be a minor change to his appearance, like the addition of a scar, or the tilt of the camera that took the photo.

Still, each time the computer generated a match; it had to be tracked down thoroughly and completely, eliminating all possibilities before moving on to the next. The Seattle office would be handling this. They had far more manpower than we did at the moment and could eliminate suspects quicker than we could, but depending on how you looked at it, that meant we had the hardest part of the job. Waiting.

"At least it's a start." Charlie's wide smile told me everything I needed to know. He was proud of us. I promised him a long time ago that I would protect Bella, and tonight I felt like I earned a little bit of the shine back to my suit of armor.

"I need some photos to create an array for mom and Jackie to look over, can you help me out?"

"Anything you need kid, you know that." Charlie grinned.

It was seven o'clock and visiting hours wouldn't end till ten, so we had time to get this finished and head over to the hospital. I wanted a firm yes on this tonight.

* * *

Charlie and I arrived at the hospital just thirty minutes later after preparing everything we would need to present to my mom and Jackie. He went off to go talk to Carlisle as I headed off towards the fourth floor where my angel currently resided.

Standing just outside of Bella's door, I could hear the girls laughing. I noticed out of the corner of my eye the agent I had placed at her door smirking at the goofy grin I had plastered on my face. So sue me. Her laughter made me feel downright giddy inside. Plus, I had wonderful news to share.

I had shown the photo array to Jackie, the lead nurse on staff that night _he_ showed up. She pointed straight to him, picking him out with ease. "I'd never forget those eyes staring back at me," she said before shuttering. _One down, one to go._

Slowly opening the door to Bella's, room I poked my head in, grinning at what I saw. Bella was sitting upright in bed next to my mom. Rose and Alice were at the foot of the bed, all four pouring over what looked to be stacks of magazines.

"Question number 5," my sister's pixie-like tone rang out, "Your man's idea of a romantic date is: A.) A sporting event where you buy all of the pizza and beer you can stand; B.) A romantic dinner, just the two of you, that he prepared himself; or C.) Taking you on a long walk through nature where you can spend hours of quiet time talking to each other.

I knew I had to hear this answer. All together they each chimed in a different answer. This must have been the cause for all the giggles.

"Oh come on Bella, "B," really? I would have figured for sure "C"." Rosalie shook her head as she wrote down all of the answers on the pad of paper on her lap.

"Are you kidding me, Rose?" Alice's voice was shaking with laughter as she continued. "Edward adores Bella. He wouldn't take her hiking, for fear she'd break her neck during the trip."

Esme gave a mock scowl, wrapping her arm around my blushing Bella. "Hey, go easy on her. We can't all walk around like we are dancing on clouds. Some of us were just born with two left feet." She gave a huge smile to Bella before kissing her on the cheek, laughing.

"Thanks a lot, Esme." Bella tried hard to hold on to the mock frown she cast at Esme, but soon found herself melting into another fit of laughter.

"Well if I knew there was going to be this much fun here today, I would have stayed to enjoy it too," I said, slowly making my way into the den of women.

Alice was the first to straighten up and I knew I was going to be called out for having interrupted their "girls only" fun. Charlie had already given me the heads-up on his visit earlier and the scolding he got from Alice. I raised my hands in surrender, hoping to prevent getting pounced on by a 110 pound pixie and my Malibu Barbie sister.

"I won't be to long, I promise," I said, before flipping the folder around to show that I come bearing information. "I just need to borrow Esme for a quick minute."

I swear I saw the smile on Bella's face slip a bit before she pulled it tight again, too tight. Something was wrong. The knot that was starting to form at the bottom of my stomach never lied.

Esme walked over to me, stepping into my line of sight, which conveniently hid Bella from my stare as well. I looked into my mom's green eyes and I knew she was hiding something. They all were, and they were choosing to shield me from Bella. I was determined to find out why.

"You had something you needed to show me, son?" Her tiny hand rested on my forearm, breaking my concentration as I tried to analyze the situation before me.

"Um, yes," I said, stumbling over my words, "I need you to look at these photos and tell me if you recognize anyone."

She pulled the folder gently from my hand and then gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand. The room was so silent you could have heard a pin drop.

"That's him. That's the man, Edward. How did you get this?" The smile reappeared on my face when I realized my mom just made my second positive ID.

"It's a bit of a long story," I said, raising my eyebrows in Alice's direction and looking for her approval to continue.

"Well get over here, you big goof, and start dishing. We'll make time for this!"

She jumped off the bed and grabbed a chair, pulling it closest to one side of Bella's bed. My mom reclaimed her spot on the other side of Bella, as I and slowly got situated to tell my story.

"First, Bella, I've gotten two positive ID's on a picture of a man I believe is the guy who kidnapped you. I promised you from the start that I would keep you in the loop no matter what happened, and I'm sticking to it, because it's important for you to know everything, just as I would do for any other victim. I caught the flash of guilt that crossed her face before she changed it to a look of deep interest. Now I was positive she was definitely hiding something.

"Do you want to see it?" I gave her a moment to think about it before continuing, "If you don't want to see it now, that's fine, you can always see it later, or not at all. Whatever you want is okay."

"No, I want to see it now," she gulped loudly before reaching for the folder. She laid it on her lap and rested her hands over it. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened it.

She pointed at the picture, and then surprised the hell out of me.

She gasped. "I met this man. He came to my classroom a few months back. The principal said he was checking out the local schools because he was moving into the area. Apparently he had a child who would be in my kindergarten class next year. You're telling me that this is the man who did this to me?" Her voice screeched a bit at the end.

I reached over and took her hand in mine, trying to calm her down. Now if someone could just calm me. The idea that this animal had gotten that close to Bella in her own personal space made me so angry. As a possible new parent, she would have shaken his hand and smiled at him. Being as sick as he is, he would have taken this as encouragement.

How long exactly had this guy been stalking Bella before he made his move? If he were planning this as far back as two months ago, it would have been totally out of character. He usually stalked his victims for a month before taking them. Two months meant that he watched Bella much longer than any of his other victims, but why?

"Bella, look at me. There is no way you could have known what his real intentions were. You had no reason to doubt him. For all you knew, he really could have been a parent checking out schools."

She was shaking her head frantically, ready to argue. No, she wasn't going to win this one. She wasn't going to take this one on herself. There really was no way she could have known. Grabbing her face gently in my hands, I stilled her shaking head and made her look directly into my eyes.

"Baby, stop it. Listen. To what. I'm saying." I punctuated each phrase for maximum clarity. "This is not your fault. Do not take this on yourself. You couldn't have stopped him from playing out his game because you had nothing about him to suspect. You did nothing wrong. Do you hear me?"

I could still feel the trembles of her body as she tried hard to calm down. I drew her to me and began to place gentle kisses all over her face; her forehead, her nose, each eye, her cheek bones, all up and down her jaw line, before placing a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. She immediately sighed deeply into my mouth, her sweet, warm breath filling my lungs as I breathed her in.

She was just too far from me, sitting there on that bed. I couldn't help but pull her into my arms and snuggle close, while burying my face in her hair. Even though her remaining tears were still slowly slipping down her face, she couldn't hide the giggle that escaped her lips as I nibbled gently on her earlobe.

"Edward," she giggled, "Stop, your mother's in the room." My hands slid around her waist as I pulled her flush against my body. Peeking out from behind Bella's hair, I gave my mom a look to gauge her reaction.

"Don't stop on my account. I think young love is divine," she said in her best Southern accent as she fluttered her hand against her heart.

"Well, my love, I promised you a story. Are you sure you want to hear this?" She bit down gently on her bottom lip as she shook her head childishly in response to my question. I thought quickly about what I should and shouldn't tell her before just plunging in headfirst.

All four women sat quietly, listening intently as I recounted the complete story, only leaving out bits and pieces here and there that were either too graphic or unnecessary.

"Apparently after Billy got shot during that hold-up a few years back - they had such a hard time finding the guy because Billy was the only one who could identify him positively - that Jacob had an extremely high-tech surveillance system installed not long after. He swore that, God forbid, if it were ever to happen again, that they would have it on tape."

"So what happened next?" Rosalie urged intently, fanning her hands at me to hurry up and continue.

"Well the system is set up so that anyone can just tap a button on the laptop and the cameras, which are in four different locations in the shop, turn on automatically. There is one overhead in the far corner, pointing towards the door, which also covers the register. Another is located in the back room, in case something, or someone, was to get back there. The next is actually outside constantly scanning the parking lot."

"The last one isn't really a video camera, but rather more a photo camera. Again, just the click of a button and a hidden camera in the mirror behind the register starts taking pictures until the button is released. The asshole didn't even realize he was staring face-forward into a mug shot." My mother gave me a disparaging look at my choice of words, but didn't say anything. It really was one of those situations where cursing was necessary. I could have used a much worse word to describe him.

"So that's pretty much the whole story. It was Emmett who decided we needed to take the chance that he would want to finish Bella's tattoo correctly instead of just finishing with another color." It dawned on me at that moment that I had made a huge mistake.

I looked into Bella's eyes and saw as horror filled them. I pulled her close to me. I knew I needed to fix this fast before she had time to freak out.

"Bella, baby, now calm down. It's not bad. The tattoo looks complete unless you're right on top of it. Even Jasper said that he could have finished with something else or left it as it was. So the fact that he was so anal about getting it exactly right is a good thing. If he hadn't been, then he might not have wanted to step out to go get the ink he needed. He might not have then gone to Billy's shop, only to be caught on his cameras, and then we wouldn't have this amazing lead to follow to finally stop this maniac. In a strange way, Bella, you are the reason we will finally have the chance to stop this guy. He fucked up," I mouthed sorry to my mom at my cursing as I continued, "so many times with your attack. We are bound to catch him. You'll be the reason why the families of the other victims will finally be allowed closure. Do you understand, my love?"

Again, Bella just nodded her head, too emotional to speak. There was a bit of an awkward silence in the room as the entire contents of the story settled over the room. This time I was the one to break it.

"Bella, when I called this afternoon, you sounded panicked when you answered, and then your tone seemed to switch completely. I've watched you since I came in the room and asked to speak to my mom, and I can tell something is going on. Bella, is there something you aren't telling me? If there is, you _need_ to tell me." I couldn't seem to stress the word "need" strongly enough." I shifted Bella slightly in my lap so that she would be forced to look at me, but her head was down and she was fiddling with the buttons of my shirt and avoiding my gaze.

Sighing softly, she finally raised her head to look at me, as tears formed in her eyes. This had me very worried about what she was going to say next.

I suddenly noticed that everyone; Esme, Rosalie, and Alice, were all making their way to the door to slip out quietly. Now I knew this wasn't going to be good.

"Oh, Edward. Please don't hate me." _Hate her? Where in God's name did that thought come from?_

"Bella I could NEVER hate you, but you're worrying me. What's going on?" I tried to squelch the panic that was rising in my voice. Had he gotten into the hospital again somehow? My hands started to shake, thinking about the possibilities.

Apparently Bella noticed this and grabbed my hands again, intertwining our fingers and bringing them up to her chest just under her jaw. She lowered her head down to place kisses against my knuckles.

"Bella, please, just tell me."

"Edward, something happened this afternoon before you called, and I've been keeping it from you, but I just can't stand keeping a secret from you, even if it was done with the best of intentions." Her bottom lip trembled as she continued.

"Edward, he called me."

* * *

_AN: Ta-da. That was for all of you who really believed Bella should tell Edward about the phone call. Don't worry, I agreed with you all along. But right at that moment Bella wasn't concerned about the case, she was more worried about her man. _

_Did anyone figure out that I worked in my beta's real name into this chapter? Well girl, if you can't have Edward all to yourself at least you have the joy of knowing you have his address. LOL I mean you did find his new home after all. I'll set you up a cozy stalking spot right next to where our Killer plans on hanging out at. _

_Next up Edward's POV. How do you think he will handle the news? _

_And "The Killer's" POV comes back into play where we left off with Vicky. What do you think will happen next?_

_Again…thank you for reading, it means so much to me. _


	21. Chapter 21

**Twilight….owned completely by Stephenie Meyer.**

_AN: I hope everyone had a VERY Merry Christmas. I'm sorry for the long update, but with the holiday I've been pretty busy. Thank you again to my beta IG…she rocks the beta world! _

_This is a long one…I hope it makes up for the few weeks that's past since my last update. DEEDEE…hit me up with a review girl…not heard from you in a while! Hope everything is ok. _

_IG….I hope I got all the changes we talked about updated…if not I'll fix it I promise!_

* * *

BPOV

I knew he would be angry. There was just no way to avoid it. Edward could read me like a book. I was sure he didn't miss the guilty look on my face when he mentioned being honest with one another. Telling him about the phone call several hours after it happened, at first seemed like a good idea, but now, I realized just how much I had messed up.

I took his shaking hands in mine and brought them up to my lips to kiss each beautiful knuckle. His long fingers always amazed me. His hands were so much larger, they swallowed mine up whenever we touched, but that only made me love him more because it gave me a feeling of being protected.

"Bella, just tell me." His voice gave him away. It did every time. He was trying hard to suppress his worry. This is part of the reason I didn't tell him. He worries about me too much. It couldn't be healthy. How could he think I wouldn't notice the way he would wake up in the middle of the night shaking his left arm because it had fallen asleep? Stress could cause a lot of strain on the body and maybe it was a stupid move, but I was just doing what I thought was right to keep him safe.

Still I knew, being the daughter of a cop, that not telling Edward about the phone call right away probably caused him to miss out on a window of opportunity. I felt horrible about that and it had been gnawing away at me for hours.

"Edward, something happened this afternoon before you called, and I've been keeping it from you, but I hope you understand that it was done with the best of intentions." I couldn't stop my bottom lip from trembling as I continued.

"He called me." I paused and waited for his response. I could see the anger flash on his face, but I knew it wasn't for me. No, I was sure the anger I saw there was for _him_.

His grip on my hands tightened and I could see the tension in his jaw as he chose his next words carefully.

"Bella, are you telling me that the man who attacked you called this afternoon and spoke to you?" You could practically hear his teeth grinding together as he tried to hold in his anger.

I could only nod my head in confirmation because I had taken to intently staring at his fingers as they clutched my hands firmly. I was surprised when he pulled away from me, standing quickly. As he paced the short distance in front of my bed from door to window, he furiously ran his fingers through his hair.

He turned away from me and I could tell his shoulders were slumped in defeat. His voice was so quiet that I had to listen closely to catch his next words. "And tell me Bella, why is it that you chose to keep this from me?"

I knew this question was coming. I had been thinking about it all day, coming up with excuse after excuse, but in the end that's all they really were; Excuses. I began to worry. Would he understand? Would he be angry and hurt because I kept it from him? No matter what the consequences, I knew I just had to tell him the truth.

"I was going to tell you," my voice trembled, "It's just that you've been so tired lately. I know you aren't sleeping well."

Edward looked at me intently. He knew I wasn't telling the entire truth.

"Bella, you kept this from me because I'm tired?" He began pacing again. I didn't like this part. Edward and I never ever fought, and this felt like at least the beginning of an argument.

He stopped his pacing and turned to stare at me. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in deep thought.

"Bella, I'm going to speak to you right now as an Investigator, so try real hard not to be hurt by what I'm going to say."

I took a deep breath and waited.

"What you did, Bella was foolish and extremely risky." The frown line between Edward's eyes deepened as he spoke. "You are under my protective care as a living witness to the crime. How can I protect you if you won't be honest with me?"

He smacked his hand lightly against the wall before leaning into it for support. His voice softened. "I can't be everywhere at once Bella, and if you lie to me," he held his hand up to silence me when he saw I was going to object to the term "lie".

"If you lie to me or omit things, I can't do my job effectively. Granted, I might not have been able to trace his call at that very moment, but I might have been able to get a better idea of his general location. It makes a huge difference if we are looking for him in Forks or he's calling from Seattle."

I bit my bottom lip. He was right. I'd made a major error in judgment, and I had to figure out a way to make this right.

"I could have narrowed down my search zone tremendously. If he was calling from a landline, I could have tracked that down. If he called from a cell phone, I could have traced the company he used."

Edward continued to rake his hand through his hair as he paced the floor back and forth. It hurt so much to have him speaking to me like this. I think this was the first time Edward had been harsh with me, though he wasn't even being as hard on me as I deserved.

"Bella, what I'm saying is that you made a bad judgment call, one that you can't make again. You have to decide right here, right now if you trust me to do my job and to do it well."

Again he held up his hand to stop me from speaking. I have always trusted Edward with my life but he wasn't asking me if I felt my boyfriend could protect me. He was asking if I felt I could trust him to "do his job".

That was such a gray area for me. How could I separate the two when in my mind they were the same person? Was he asking me to care less about him when he was being my agent? How do you not blur that line?

I sniffled, holding back the tears that where threatening to come spilling out. "It's just that he started in on how you would never catch him and it made me so mad. I mean, who does he think he is? I don't care how many officers he's evaded in the past, he's never been up against you, or Emmett, or my father for that matter. So I made sure he knew that he was enjoying his last days of freedom. He shut up after that." I mumbled that last part as I watched Edward's face turn red with anger. I realized this anger was for me at the same time I realized I had made another huge error in judgment.

He sat down quickly in the chair by my bed, gripping his hair harshly with his fingers. I reached over to gently soothe his grip on his poor scalp. He quickly darted out of my reach, looking at me with fire in his eyes.

"Bella, I don't want you to EVER talk to this man again! He's a monster and he's doing his best to taunt us. Don't you see? You might say something to trigger him to come after you again." He jumped up from his chair and stalked to the window.

"Dear God Bella, he's already gotten past me once! What if he tried again and succeeded?" I could hear him talking to himself.

_I've got to get her out of here. I obviously can't protect her here. Next thing I know she'll be leaving to go find him herself_.

It wasn't fair, even unintentionally, to crack Edwards's resolve right now. He had a right to be angry with me and set me straight and my crying would only cause him to go back into boyfriend mode and comfort me and promise that everything would be okay. I understood that he needed to be my agent and set the ground rules, so I wiped my tearsaway as best I could before looking up at him.

The action didn't go unnoticed by Edward, and I could see his face soften a bit before he reined it back in.

"Bella, swear to me that you will take this seriously. Swear to me that you will tell me everything going forward with no delay. If you can't promise me this, then as much as it will pain me to do it, I'm going to have to request to be pulled from the case."

I couldn't contain my gasp. Pull him from the case? I couldn't trust anyone else with this. The things that had happened so far, the details, it was all too personal. They'd have to see my back; I'd have to let a stranger look at that. It was hard enough knowing my entire family had seen it.

Not to mention that Edward wanted to catch this guy himself. He had put in so much hard work. It had been personal before I became one of his victims, but now I knew it was his mission in life to find this guy. He must feel strongly about this to make taking himself off the case an option. He couldn't give up because I made a mistake and treated him as my boyfriend, rather than an Investigator.

I had to keep Edward and Emmett on the case. There was no one else I trusted more.

Edward continued to look at me, arms folded across his chest. He was waiting for my answer, so I opened my mouth, but nothing came out at first. I paused a moment, and finally found the strength to speak.

"Edward," my voice cracked as I choked down some of the shame I felt, "I never meant to cause you to doubt that I trusted you. I've always known you're the best. I know your track record and know you don't let up on a case until it's solved.

I know my words don't make it better. You're right. I have a hard time drawing that line. I will figure out how to make that distinction in the future." My mind was just going a million miles a minute, trying to process it all.

"And I trust you implicitly, so please, please don't take yourself or Emmett off the case. I'll make sure you find out everything immediately in the future, I swear."

As I made my promise, Edward's arms fell to his sides and he gave a gentle nod of his head in agreement. Then he "drew the line" and stepped over it, depositing his jacket on a nearby chair before coming to my side and pulling me into his arms. I needed this; I needed to know he forgave me. My boyfriend was holding me now and I felt safe, loved, desired, and forgiven.

"Don't you EVER do that to me again, Bella," he whispered into my hair as he nuzzled my neck. His arms were wrapped so tightly around me it was becoming hard to take a deep breath.

"If I ever lost you, I think I'd go out of my mind. You know I can't live in a world where you don't exist." He peppered my neck and jaw line with gentle kisses, and I could help but melt into his touch.

"Please don't shut me out." He pulled back and gently cupped my face in his hands, while mine rested on his thighs. "I love you with everything that I have inside of me, my Bella, and I understand why you did it, but I'm a big boy; I'm not going to break if things get tough. Yes, there will be times along the way when I'm tired, but Bella, that's because I'm working very hard on this case. I owe it to you and to all the other victims to do this right, to catch this guy.

You're just like me. You have a deep-seated desire to watch out for those you love. We've been each other's safe haven for so long, we don't know how to be anything else." He took a long breath in and let it out slowly. "So I'm not angry with you, baby. I just need you to understand that this is bigger than you and me.

I couldn't help the tears that escaped as he declared his forgiveness. His lips found each one, kissing my cheeks as they tried to escape. "No tears my love, no tears. We're good." He brushed the tip of his nose against mine in a soft kiss.

"There was never a moment that my devotion swayed, so please don't cry. It's over baby and we won't think about it anymore. The past is just that – the past. We won't mention it again." He pressed his lips gently against mine and I couldn't help the soft sigh that left my lips. I wasn't going to let him down again.

He pulled out of the kiss and rested his forehead against mine, our noses softly brushing back and forth against each other.

He softly whispered against my lips, "You do realize I'm going to have to tell Emmett what's happened, right?" I let out a groan at the mention of my big brother's name. If I thought going through this with Edward was rough, I was going to get an earful from brother bear.

Edward just gave a soft chuckle. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I pulled him towards me, stretching my legs out as I brought him down with me onto the bed. He carefully rearranged his position so he was between my legs, while he carefully kept the majority of his weight off of me with his forearms.

Edward and I were never very sexually active. Yes, we'd done the "over the clothes" stuff and some light touching, but never anything that would work up a serious sweat and get your heart flying. Still, I loved when we touched. It was like my body was on fire whenever Edward was near me. Even if he was just holding me at night, I treasured every second he was there. I gently ran my fingers through his hair scratching his scalp. He must have been a cat in another life, because he sighed in contentment.

Edward ran his fingers through my hair. "You know that I'm going to have to leave soon." He gave a long sigh that caused the light scent of cinnamon to fill my lungs. "I've got to follow up on the phone call, and update the director on the break in the case."

All I could do was nod. I was far too mesmerized by the small patch of dirty blonde hair that sprinkled the top of his chest between his collarbones. His skin was so warm and soft under my fingertips. I wish we could just stay like this forever, but far too soon Edward kissed my lips again passionately before easing himself off of the bed, I knew he had to go, but I was still going to be a baby about it. I looked at him with pleading eyes.

He chuckled. "Love, I've got to get this all taken care of, but I'll be back in the morning, and if I know my sister, you've still got tons of 'girl time' to get to before I get you back completely. Besides, you ordered me away tonight, remember?" he added with a smirk, which only caused me to pout more.

"You bet your sweet patootie she does!" Alice had magically appeared inside the doorway.

I peeked around Edward's shoulder and caught Alice's expression. She giggled and then continued to stand there, hands on her hips, tapping the toe of her very expensive shoes, and waiting for Edward to say his final goodbye for the night. No way was I going to allow her to rush my good night kiss.

Rarely was I the aggressor, but I wasn't going to be seeing him again till the morning and right now that felt like an eternity. I pulled him close and one of his arms wrapped around my back, pulling me tightly to his body and lifting me off of the bed until I was barely resting on my knees. I could feel how turned on he was, and although it wasn't lost on me that we were still in my hospital room, I wanted him so much right at that moment.

We finally came up for air and I turned my head slightly to see that Alice was no longer alone. The other two dear women in my life had joined her to watch the show, and all three had very different reactions.

Esme had tears in her eyes and her hand was covering her mouth. She loved to see us so happy and in love. Rosalie was fanning herself. Apparently we were slowly climbing up the rating scale with each passing moment and were now someone on the verge of exiting the "R" rating and plunging into "X". Then there was Alice who was a sucker for a good love story. She was clutching a box of tissues to her chest while dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

"That's just beautiful," she said as she sniffed and grabbed another tissue.

Edward took a deep breath at the same time I did, both of us drinking in one another's scent before he had to go. "Isabella Marie Swan, you are everything in this world to me, never forget that," Edward whispered quietly before kissing me one final time.

As he gathered up his things to leave, I tried hard to calm the rapid fluttering of my heart that threatened to pound right out of my chest. He blew me a kiss as he exited and just like he had done before, I caught it and playfully tossed it down the front of my hospital gown to keep it for later. It caused the most wonderful laugh I'd heard in a very long time. I made a mental note to make that happen again and often.

* * *

EPOV

I closed the door to Bella's room as I folded my jacket over my arm and walked towards the elevators. I had to find Charlie to let him know what Bella had told me.

Even thought it was almost the middle of June, it was an uncharacteristically warm day today and the coolness of the air conditioning on my skin felt nice. I went in search of Charlie after the elevator reached the third floor, where my father's office was located.

I was still down right giddy with the fact that I had a positive ID on the guy, and I knew that with our extensive resources, it was just a matter of time before I had a name. My fingertips practically ached to get my hands on this jackass.

As I rounded the final corner that would lead me to Carlisle's office, my phone buzzed.

"Emmett?" We had left him at the station to complete the reports.

"No I'm Emmett, and you are Edward. Get it straight dude." He guffawed loudly and I just shook my head at my partner's antics. The person passing by gave me a strange look before hurrying on about their business. Apparently they could hear Emmett's loud laugh. "What's up?"

"Well I was just calling to let you know that I was finishing up the reports and was just looking over the one from Billy's case. Did you need me to do anything more before I head home?"

I quietly debated the best way to break the news to him. Emmett wasn't going to take it well and I really didn't think that Bella wanted a visit from her brother tonight so he could "let her have it."

So as quickly as possible, I gave him the whole story. He didn't say one word the entire time. Even after I was finished and expected him to rant about how irresponsible Bella was, he said nothing. I finally called his name just to be sure he was still there.

"Yeah I'm here. I was just thinking. I know you're gonna be shocked, but I'm not really all that mad at her."

While I stood there in stunned silence, he continued, "I mean think about it. She said she was going to tell you tomorrow, so it's not like she wasn't going to tell you at all, and really, on a wire trace, most of the time we can only go so far with it, especially when it's AFTER the phone call, no matter how much time has lapsed. Plus she's so much like you with your need to protect you, it's pitiful. You've tried to protect her since the very first day you met her, saving her from one tumble or accident after another."

I could only smile. Just a few minutes ago I had said something very similar to Bella.

"Now don't get me wrong. She's still going to get an earful from me about this, and I hope that you've done the same and not been all 'Mr. Romantic-Pants' on her and let her slide."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Emmett knew me too well. Yes I had given her a talking-to, but after it was all over, I felt horrible and I nearly faltered in my lecture when I saw her tears. It was impossible to miss it as she tried to wipe them away when she thought I wasn't looking. Granted, the boyfriend in me wanted to scold her too for being reckless, but all I could do was just hold her and be thankful that it was JUST a phone call.

I ended my call with Emmett and knocked lightly on my father's door before walking in. Both Charlie and Carlisle were seated at his desk talking. As they stood to greet me, Charlie asked, "So, did she tell you?"

My mouth fell open. Charlie knew and he kept it from me? He didn't even pretend to hide it; he just stood there rubbing the back of his neck as I continued to gape at him. "You knew?"

"Well, she made me promise not to say anything until she could talk to you herself. She's been pretty worried about you lately, especially with that whole hand going numb thing you've been dealing with lately."

My father's head snapped in my direction at the mention of the numb hand. Hiding a physical ailment from my father, the doctor, was a major no-no. He gave me a look of reproach.

_So apparently tonight was the night for everyone to get into hot water._

"Dad it's nothing. We'll talk about it later, okay?" I pleaded with him.

"But Edward…" he began, and I knew what was coming.

"Really dad, it's just a little numbness every now and then. I've probably just been sleeping on it wrong. If it comes back again I promise I'll let you know right away."

He didn't really look appeased by my answer. In fact, he made a grand production of walking around his desk, picking up his red ink pen, writing a sticky note reminder to himself and sticking it on his computer monitor.

I just rolled my eyes. _And people wonder where I learned it._

"Well I guess it's safe to give this to you now," Charlie said before handing me a file. "I love my daughter and would do anything for her, but I know a possible lead when I see one.

I opened the file and was a little shocked at what I saw. There was a complete report detailing the incident, a trace of the phone call, and even the original copy of the court order for the tap on Bella's hospital room line. The judge who had signed off on the order was apparently a weekend fishing buddy of Charlie's, so it was easily and quickly approved. Apparently Charlie had gotten all of this taken care of earlier in the day. He had even taken care of tracking the phone call down to the guy's cellular service.

As I looked over the report, I felt both relief and anxiety. Forks. He was calling from here. Selfishly, part of me had wanted it to be Seattle. At least if he was calling from there it meant that he wasn't anywhere near my Bella, but on the plus side, with an estimated population of close to 600,000 people in Seattle, there were just too many to protect and suspect, so I'd take Forks' estimated 3,200 people any day. A stranger stuck out like a sore thumb in this town.

I looked at Charlie and let my expression say it all. Charlie had sufficiently redeemed himself in my eyes, even if he did rat me out to my dad about my issue.

"I may be a father first, Edward, but being a cop is a very close second. I still know how to do my job pretty well." He added with a big grin, "They didn't make me the Chief of Police for nothing."

* * *

**FAIR WARNING **

**regarding the following. It gets VERY hardcore. This is not to be read by the young, or the weak-stomached. You get several glimpses into the past of The Killer to see how he came to be what he is. You've been warned! If you are even SLIGHTLY turned off or disgusted by the first few paragraphs, take my word for it and stop reading. It will only get worse. Plus there is a lot of bad language in this section. So to all my beloved readers and new readers…beware!**

* * *

?POV

I pulled out of Victoria and collapsed onto the bed. I couldn't seem to suck the oxygen in fast enough. We had been fucking off and on all day long. Eventually even I had to get up and take a break. I wasn't fucking cumming as hard as I normally would, so I got up and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Normally a woman would downright gag on my jizz because I shot such a load down her throat. Most of the time, it ran out of their mouths and onto their tits, which was extremely fucking hot.

I was sweating like a fucking pig from riding her so much. I'd seriously have to get her into the shower and see exactly how many ways I could fuck her there, but I had to give Vicky credit. She kept up with me, giving as good as she got. I actually found myself kind of admiring her for that.

Absent-mindedly I stared at the Scooby-Doo magnet on her fridge, my mind wandering back to the first time a woman gave me head.

FLASHBACK

_I had just turned twelve. My father, Caius, decided that it was time to start my training. You see, it was a tradition in my family that when the boys in the family turned thirteen, they had to pick out a wife. To some, this would have seemed strange, but this is how I grew up._

_When I say__"pick out a wife", I mean that literally. It was all planned out. My mom Jane, my dad, and I all piled into the car on my thirteenth birthday and drove into downtown Los Angeles. At the time, we were living in Burbank, California. _

_It was a known rule that you never grabbed someone in the same fucking town you lived in. There were just too many risks involved. My brothers had all found wives along the way and I was the baby of the group. Well, I wasn't technically the baby, as I did have a little sister, but she didn't count, at least not to my dad. _

_My mom had pushed out four boys, me included, before finally snagging a flaw and getting a girl. She was being "taught" by my oldest brother how to be a good wife and it would be his job later to find her a decent husband who could control her. My sister had a little bit of a wild side and sometimes liked to rebel. Maybe she liked the beatings she got afterwards _

_I had been pretty nervous about the whole thing when my mom and dad had sat me down to explain how the next year of my life would go. Nothing came as a surprise because I had seen my brothers go through the same shit, but the reality of doing it first-hand made me pretty fucking scared. You didn't fuck with my dad. He would screw you up royally if you did. Since he was the head of our clan, he was highly regarded. Every woman in our compound had been in his bed at one time or another. The same would be true of my future wife. After I fucked her to take her virginity and wore her in, I had to bring her to my father to present as an offering. _

_You see, we lived by the code that nothing was ours. It was all his to command, even our bodies. To us, Caius was our god, and I was fucking blessed to be a result of his overly active sperm. _

_The night we started my training, my mom took my hand and explained that she was doing this __'__for my own good__'__. "You don't want to be an embarrassment to your future bride in bed, now do you? So make sure to pay close attention to everything your father tells you to do. Ok?" I loved when my mom talked to me like that, and she loved to run her fingers through my hair, tucking it behind my ears_

_As we entered their bedroom, my father directed me to the loveseat that sat not far from the bed. Even though I knew__,__ more or less what to expect, I was still tense about exactly how this would start. _

_Jane smiled sweetly at me before she started to take off her clothes. I was to refer to her as Jane during our sessions so as not to confuse her with "mom" and hurt the relationship I had with her, as Caius, who I was also to call by name, or Sir if I preferred, explained. _

_Even at twelve years old I was not oblivious to the sexiness of a woman, and even after having squeezed out 5 kids my mom's…Jane's - body was fucking hot. She now stood completely naked before me. There's no way I could completely describe my awe as I stared at her. _

"_Do you like what you see, my sweet boy?" _

_Her tone was loving and gentle. She was allowed to call me 'sweet boy' or by my first name. Nothing else. When I say that Caius commanded every part of this training, I wasn't lying. You didn't even fucking cum until he gave you permission. _

_Jane's hands ran up and down her beautiful body, giving me a show, and I swear at that moment I got my very first boner. I noticed now that during my viewing of Jane, Caius had completely stripped. He came up behind her and began his instruction. _

"_Rule number one, my boy. A woman is meant for your pleasure only. All of this that you see," he said as he motioned slowly up and down Jane's body, "is for your usage to meet YOUR needs."_

_I shifted a bit uncomfortably in my seat, trying to find a new position that didn't cause my jeans to press so hard into my dick. _

_Caius reached up and grabbed both of Jane's breasts in his hands, pulling them out and away from her body before twisting her nipples in-between his fingernails, pinching them harshly. Reaching up again, he began to bounce her tits in his hands as he spoke. _

"_Now if you are fortunate enough to get a woman who is lactating, you can have tons of fun with that. I'm surprised you boys didn't fucking starve to death when you were first born because I sucked these big tits as often as possible. I usually fed from her nightly." _

"_Now you can do anything you want to them to a point. Like, don't fucking detach them from her body or all your fucking fun goes out the window. Understand?" _

_I nodded my head before wiggling again on the couch to get more comfortable. Jane just continued to smile sweetly at me. _

"_This," Caius continued as he placed his large hand over my mothers…Jane's - pussy, "This is where she pushed you boys out from," he said as he gave a tight squeeze, pulling Jane's body tightly into his, grinding his pelvis into her ass. "Now we will get into the dynamics of sperm, eggs, babies and all that shit later. You just need to understand the basics first." Again I shifted uncomfortably, relaxing my right hand against my thigh. _

_Jane finally apparently took pity on me as she leaned her head back to whisper to Caius. His eyes widened at first before straightening his expression. _

"_Jane tells me you aren't comfortable sitting there. She believes your cock is erect and you need some release for us to continue our lesson. Is that right son?" _

_Jane looked back at me again with gentle love in her eyes. I didn't know what to say to that. I was so embarrassed. Surely none of my other brothers had been ready to come after only a few minutes of their first lesson. _

_I watched as Caius wrapped his hand in Jane's blonde hair forcing her down onto her knees a few feet in front of the bed. "Come here son," he motioned for me to come to stand before Jane. I gulped, but obeyed. Like I said you didn't fucking mess with my dad._

_I stood in front of Jane and she just looked up at me with her big blue eyes shining back. I looked to Caius, asking silently what I was to do. He reached down and undid my jeans, pulling my boxers down with them. I stepped out of them and he tossed them aside and instructed me to lay down on the bed with my legs hanging over the edge. My cock was now throbbing. I might have only been twelve, but I developed down there pretty early. Completely hard I was at least a good 6 inches. Caius told me not to worry and that when I finally hit puberty it would grow a few more inches and would be an impressive size. _

_Did I mention that he even kept a fucking chart of our cock sizes? My second oldest brother, after puberty, was still a little undersized. He was made to use a cock pump for a whole year to make it stretch. By the time he was finished, it increased a whole inch and a half. _

"_Now just lay there and let Jane do the work son. Remember, this is what she is here for, and since this is your first time, you can cum whenever you want too. We'll work on control later."_

_With that she engulfed my cock into her mouth. I nearly screamed as all of the sensations hit me at being sucked off for the first time. I completely forgot in that moment that it was my mom going to town on me. It just felt so fucking good, and when I felt her press her fingers against my ass I swear I nearly shot down her throat right that moment. _

_It was so awkward. I wasn't sure what to do with my hands. Caius grabbed them and put them onto the back of Jane's head. _

"_Here son, remember she is yours to use for release." He held my hands in place in her hair and showed me how to pull her down onto me to actually fuck her face instead of just letting her control the tempo. _

_This was fucking unbelievable and I could feel my balls begin to tighten. I was worried at first, still forcing Jane's head down hard onto my cock. Gasping with the pleasure of it all, I asked, "Where do I cum?" At that question, Jane's fingers finally slipped into my ass while still stroking my balls with her thumb as her lips clamped down on my cock, sucking me with everything she had. I completely lost it and came hard, while yanking her head down onto my body hard enough that her teeth were scraping my skin. I could hear her gagging, and for a moment I hesitated, taking one hand off of her head ready to release her. Surely if she was gagging she must be uncomfortable, but Caius put a stop to that quickly. _

"_No son, continue to fuck her face and feed her your cock. When they gag it is their way of telling you they are enjoying it. You are doing wonderfully my boy." _

_At that moment, hearing Caius praise__,__ I didn't care if the gagging was actually good or bad. My father was proud of me. I was a man now. I fucking had a woman, and I loved it. I wrapped my hands back into Jane's hair and continued to pound away, slipping my cock deep into her throat as she drank me down. _

_I released the death grip I had on her head as I finished and relaxed. Caius just smiled proudly as he stood over me, watching as I regained my composure. _

"_See, Janey? That's my boy." _

_The swell of pride I felt was amazing. I let go of Jane and she crawled onto the bed, pulling me with her. I relaxed against her stomach as she lazily ran her fingers though my hair. "My sweet boy, my sweet, sweet boy," she kept repeating over and over. _

"_Are you ready to continue now, my boy?" Caius was standing at the edge of the bed waiting for my response. I just nodded sleepily before getting up and resuming my position on the loveseat. _

"_I had planned on taking this slow, son, but since you got me all worked up, I need some release now." Reaching up onto the bed, he grabbed Jane's ankle and dragged her too him roughly. He spread her legs wide open for me to get a clear view of what he was going to do. He ran his hand quickly up Jane's pussy and showed me his hand that was dripping wet. _

"_You see what you do to her son?" He quickly slid his fingers into his mouth before adding, "Tomorrow's lesson will be how to eat out a cunt and make a woman scream." _

_With those final words I watched as Caius rammed his dick up inside Jane's pussy. She screamed out at the pain and the adjustment her body had to make to his rough entrance and size. I could hear the slap, slap, slap, of his skin on hers as he rode her, making her scream. It was in that moment I realized that I loved the sound of a woman screaming._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

My daydreaming was broken by Victoria's voice calling to me from the bedroom.

"Mike, baby, come back to bed. I think I've come up with a new way you can fuck me." I couldn't help the grin that covered my face.

It really was too bad. I was beginning to like this girl.

* * *

_AN: Ok so I know that last part was a bit out there, but I had to show you what his world is like. How he became the way HE is. Women are just objects to him. That's why he uses them. I hope instead of turning you off completely from my story, it actually intrigued you to learn more about him. I doubt you'll ever have pity for him, but you might understand him better in the end. Sometimes it really is the Village that screwed up the child._

_Thank you to all my beautiful readers who have taken the time to write me a review. They really are a huge encouragement. I hope to have more chapters up real soon. _

_And to my beta IG…thank you for all the help and suggestions. Sometimes I run my mind in overdrive just to keep up with you. LOL_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Everything involving Twilight and it's characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Sadly all I own are these few original thoughts. But they are good thoughts at least.**

_A/N: Ok first I want to say I feel like a big doo-doo head because I actually forgot this when I posted this chapter originally. I forgot the disclaimer, I forgot to thank my amazing beta Irritable Grizzzley and to thank her bunches for all the work she did on this chapter. She read it over like 3 or 4 times till I finally got it right. Tell me honestly, who would put up with that if she wasn't dedicated? I swear if I could afford her I'd pay her for all the hard work she does trying to make my random thoughts that much better. She is truly just the greatest! _

_I hope you enjoy the latest chapter of my story...there are some questions at the bottom I hope you will take a moment to answer. Oh and I'm tickled to death...I FINALLY made it over 200 reviews!! I feel like I've been running a marathon and I've gotten to the top of a large hill. Now I can't help but wonder how long it will take me to make it to 300 reviews. As my dear sweet reviewer DEE DEE would say...be still my black little heart...I can feel the love....thank you so much for taking the time to review. I read them all, even if I don't get a chance to responsd all the time. They are so encouraging. I'm so glad so many of you really seem to like my work.....as Sally Field would say "you like me, you really like me!"_

_Once again...thanks for reading._

* * *

EPOV

It was late, but I knew the director would still be in the office. Director Davis always claimed that he could get more work done at night after everyone had gone home, than he could during the entire day. He joked that sometimes he felt like a school teacher constantly answering numerous questions from his many children.

Emmett and I gathered together all of the information we had so far on the case. We had to make sure to be as thorough as possible, since this was our first official report we were giving him since Bella had been added to the list of victims. After I had the first agent assigned to her door removed, I made sure to contact our captain and explain the situation to him. He was more than a little skeptical about whether or not Emmett and I could proceed on the case and remain objective.

It was agreed upon before-hand that the incident with the phone call to Bella would be left as a report note. If the chief felt we weren't going to be able to perform our jobs effectively, he would have yanked us off in a heartbeat. This case was just too important to be messed up, but I just couldn't let anyone else take the reins.

After the conference call, and several reassurances to the director that we had it well under control, he gave us one final direction: Spread the word. Normally we would not reveal the identity of a suspect until we at least had a better grasp of who he really was. By spilling what we knew to the public, it tipped off the suspect that we knew more than he thought.

But it was decided that the population needed to at least be on the look-out for the killer for their own well-being. The more aware people were, the less likely they would be his next victim. After Emmett placed a call to the local news network for a mid-morning press conference, we all packed up and headed home for the night.

Arriving at Charlie's, I trudged slowly from the car up the stairs to Bella's bedroom. I was exhausted. As I opened the door to her room, I was hit with the subtle scent of strawberries and freesia, but instead of a smile crossing my face, I realized I was actually frowning. It didn't feel right to stay in Bella's room without Bella.

As I sat on the edge of the bed, the movement caused her nightgown to slide off. I grabbed it quickly and held the silky material in my hand. I didn't realize I was crying until I saw the dark spots forming on her gown. I held it to my face and tried to cover up the sounds of my sobs. If Charlie or Emmett heard me they would come to check on me, and I just wasn't up to talking right then.

I guess I was more exhausted than I thought, because it just all came crashing down on me. Bella being taken, being hurt, scared, the tattoo marring her beautiful body permanently, the taunting this asshole was doing, Bella keeping secrets, her not being here beside me now. I was so overwhelmed right at that moment, and I continued to allow the tears to fall.

As I lied down on Bella's side of the bed, still clutching her gown to my face and breathing in her scent, I must have eventually fallen asleep.

Several hours passed and I was awoken to the sunshine pouring in through the window. I rolled over, still very groggy and stiff from having slept in an awkward position most of the night. Grabbing my clothes and toiletries, I headed to the small shared bathroom down the hall. Emmett was just walking out as I neared.

"Hey bro. Man, did you sleep at all last night? You look like hell."

I just grimaced because my head was pounding and Emmett was far too loud for this early in the morning. I ignored him and went into the bathroom. After I stripped and threw my clothes in the hamper, I got into the shower and just stood under the spray of water.

Charlie had already left for the day, so the remaining hot water was all mine and I planned on enjoying it. After about twenty minutes Emmett apparently decided that I had relaxed enough and loudly banged on the door, muttering something about how I was pretty enough and that if stayed in there any longer, I would start turning into a prune.

I finished, got out and dried off, and wrapped a towel around my waist. Looking at myself in the mirror for the first time, I finally saw what Emmett had been referring to earlier. Under my eyes, dark circles were forming, I looked like I hadn't shaved in a week, when really it had only been about twenty-four hours, I was paler than usual and my lips didn't even hold their traditional pink flush that Bella always said she loved so much. I looked tired. More than tired - I looked ready to hang it up.

_Just get through this case, Cullen. Then talk to Bella. No major decisions without her, that's always been your pact. _

After I completed my morning routine, I dressed and went downstairs to find Emmett sitting at the kitchen table nursing a massive travel cup of coffee while reading the paper. I grabbed some toast and jam and took a seat at the table as well, choosing a cup of milk over the loaded-down mug of caffeine that was staring me in the face. I wasn't feeling good, and coffee when I didn't feel well only made me jittery.

Reaching for my glass of milk, I realized that I couldn't feel my fingers gripping the cup. From the corner of my eye, I could see Emmett watching me as I flexed my hand, trying to get the feeling back into it.

"Not a word about this Emmett," I growled at him. I had enough people on my case about this already. I didn't need him joining in too.

"Bro," he began, but I stopped him.

"I'm fine Emmett, really. It just falls asleep sometimes when I'm really stressed out."

He looked at me skeptically.

"Look, my dad knows about it and he's threatening me with tests, so let's just drop it for now. I'm sure it has to do with stress and once things settle down a little, it will ease off and be nothing, okay?"

I was still looking down at my fingers as the needles prickled in my hand. Emmett didn't say anything more, but just got up and cleaned his dishes before walking out to the hallway.

I was finishing up as well, setting my dishes in the sink for later, when I heard the faint ringing of my phone. Realizing I must have left it upstairs, I raced back to Bella's room, hoping to make it in time before it stopped ringing. I didn't.

After flipping it open, I noticed I had a new voicemail. It was from a voice I didn't ever want to hear. "Well hello there Eddie." I stopped breathing. "Just checking in with ya. I would hate for you to get worried that I had forgotten about ya." His light chuckling filled my ears and I wanted so badly to reach through the phone and rip out his vocal chords. "How's my girl doing? Does she still miss me?"

_His girl? Miss him? I swear I'm going to fuck this guy up so royally when I get my hands on him. _

"Well, make sure to get her all ready for me come August. I decided that I could rearrange my schedule and find a substitution for my sweet Isabella for this month. Granted, she's a poor substitute, but sometimes I can't be picky. I've got a schedule to keep, ya know. Oh, and tell Isabella that I loved our little chat earlier. Maybe we'll get to talk again soon. Well, Ta-Ta for now."

His voice was sickeningly sweet, as though he was talking to his best buddy. As I dialed the home office in Seattle, Emmett came to the door to hurry me along. He didn't speak as he heard me ordering a trace on my line for the last call received. After I gave the final instructions and told the tech to get back to get back to me as soon as possible on the completed trace, I looked up at Emmett who was waiting for an explanation.

"The asshole called me, Emmett. He fucking called me. He told me to get Bella ready for August. He's already chosen another victim to fill her place this month."

* * *

_A/N: Warning! This section is very graphic. Again, I feel it's necessary for you to look into the killer's past to understand what made him into the monster he is today. I've tried to tone it down a bit, but it's still pretty X-rated. So for those of you reading, seriously, if you aren't able to handle the graphic descriptions…then PLEASE stop reading and wait for the next chapter. This chapter is ONLY for Mature readers. _

_You've been warned!_

* * *

?POV

_Oh god she's so fucking wet and tight. How is it possible that she's still so dripping wet? _

Victoria and I had been fucking for almost ten hours, give or take. We'd catch little naps in-between, utterly exhausted, and then continue again, fucking like rabbits. It was the longest I'd ever been with a woman who was still alive, not counting _her. _

Victoria continued to moan below me. I found out not too long after we started that one of her favorite positions was doggy style, which I loved too, and riding her this way just made me feel in so much control. Giving one final forceful thrust into her, I shook as I shot load after load into her hot body.

Victoria collapsed onto the bed and I fell on top of her, completely exhausted. I stayed that way for a few minutes until she began to squirm to get from underneath me. All of my body weight pressed against her was apparently making it hard for her to breathe.

It was around one o'clock in the morning on Saturday, and I just rolled over, not bothering to pull the sheet up to cover my sweaty body. Next came the part that I loathed the most: snuggling.

_What is it with chicks and the need to cuddle afterwards? I mean seriously, why can't they be like guys and just fucking lay there enjoying the afterglow? Why did it have to turn into this whole thing where they needed to "feel the love?"_

But to keep up appearances, I endured the torture. She passed out soon after, snuggling up to my side anyway, and I soon got out from under her grasp to roll away.

I allowed myself to fall asleep in a woman's bed for the first time in a very long time. But it wasn't a restful sleep. No, as soon as my eyes shut I was dreaming.

_I had finally turned thirteen and I was on the final day of my lessons, the day Caius deemed my final exam. It wouldn't be held with him and Jane. It was decided that as a real test, it would be held with a couple I hadn't been with before so that I had to adjust to everything from the beginning. _

_Over the year I had been put through what could only be determined as "it all." I did couples, three-ways, anal, doggy, sixty-nine, men, you name it, and I did it. I was certain that I could have taught the Kama Sutra a thing or two. _

_As I waited patiently in the bedroom for my test partners to arrive, I couldn't help the anxiousness that was overcoming me. If the test was deemed to have gone well, it meant that either later tonight or tomorrow I would be on the hunt for my wife. I knew exactly what I wanted. I just had to find her. _

_The door swung open and in walked Caius, Jane, my Uncle Peter and my Aunt Charlotte. Uncle Peter and Aunt Charlotte weren't really my aunt and uncle, but I was told to always refer to them that way unless told otherwise. I was surprised at first that Charlotte was there, as she had just had a baby a couple of months ago and had recently been okayed by the doctor to have sex again. _

_Caius walked over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder with a large smile stretched across his face. "Alright son, one last test of your skills and then we can proceed to start your own family." _

_My own family. That was something I had been looking forward to for a whole year. I didn't realize it at first, but having a wife had become very important to me. I was anxious to get this show on the road. _

_Jane had moved over to the sofa to sit while Caius talked to me. I caught her expression out of the corner of my eye and even though I was listening to my father, I couldn't help but pay attention to my mother as well. She just continued to smile sweetly at me. _

"_Go to your mother, son," Caius instructed. I rushed to her side and snuggled into her embrace. She wrapped her arms around me, pressing my head against her breast while cooing softly to me. _

"_My sweet boy. Have I ever told you how proud of you I am? You've turned into such an outstanding young man. I know that you will make me and your father proud today."_

_She pulled away from me slightly and looked into my eyes as she held my face gently in her hands. "Remember everything we have taught you, baby. You'll do wonderfully." With that, she kissed my forehead and urged me to return to my spot on the bed._

"_Now son, this will be led completely by you. There really is no right or wrong way to do this, but you will be graded on your performance. Just take things the way you would like to, and afterwards we will review and see what could be improved upon. Then you will receive your final review with me alone. There we will discuss if we will be looking for your wife in the days to come, or if you'll need further training."_

_I nodded in understanding. Throughout my year of training with Jane and Caius, several things had been ingrained into my head: _

_1.) I was the one in control. The only time control ever changed hands was when I allowed it. _

_2.) I was allowed to be harsh or tender in a sex act as I saw fit, there was no predetermined rule for how I was to act. If I needed hard and fast fucking to get off, then that is what I got. If I wanted to be more gentle and prolong it, then that was my decision to make. _

_3.) No part of a woman's body was off-limits. Everything was open to my access. Everything._

_That last part I particularly liked because I had grown very fond of anal sex. It was so tight and most of the time I just wanted to howl at the moon because it made me feel so animalistic, so savage. It was an amazing feeling, one I can barely describe. _

_After giving the final instructions, Caius took his seat beside Jane to watch. I took a deep breath before turning around to see Charlotte standing just at the foot of the bed and Peter only a few feet away. I made the decision then to allow my anxious feelings to guide the tempo. Looking over at Peter, I snapped my fingers at him and instructed him to strip and crawl onto the bed with his back against the headboard. _

_I walked over to Charlotte and looked over her clothes. She was in a shirt dress that buttoned the whole way down the front. Reaching up to the collar, I snatched the shirt open with as much force as I could muster which sent the buttons to her shirt flying. Apparently she had been instructed to come prepared because she had no under clothes on and was totally bare. _

_Fuck me, no pussy hair. This was going to be divine. Slowly I slid my hand down her body, starting at her neck and down her collar bone before reaching her large and luscious tits. As I massaged them, practically groping them, Peter spoke up to answer an unspoken question. _

"_She breast feeds. They will be that size, and sometimes bigger, till she gets done feeding our son." _

_I was a little surprised by the proud look on Peter's face as he watched me grabbing at her tits. "Do you drink from her, Peter?" He nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yes sir I do, often. You should taste her. It's heavenly." _

_Permission wasn't needed, as I was the controller, the alpha male, but it was nice to hear anyway. I grabbed a tit in my hand and brought the rosy pink bud up to my mouth, closing my lips around the hardened nipple. I continued to massage her tit as I suckled. _

_Charlotte's head fell back in pleasure as I felt the first small jet of milk fill my mouth. I swallowed it hungrily, pulling more of her big tit into my mouth while squeezing it, trying to make the milk come out faster. _

_It was fucking delicious and watching her and listening to her moan was going straight to my cock. I slid my free hand down and slid two, then three fingers into her tight pussy, and I could feel her begin to ride my hand as she pressed her body down into my palm. _

_It was amazing to watch her writhing at my touch and I wanted to push the bounds a little further to see how much she would allow. Still watching her face and fucking her pussy with my hand, I quickly bit down on her tit, digging my teeth into her skin. _

_This apparently caught Charlotte completely off-guard, because she screamed and slapped me, breaking our contact. Peter immediately moved from his spot on the bed, but I instructed him to keep his ass exactly where it was. _

_I wasn't sure if he was moving because I had bitten her, or if he was coming to my aid, so I had to assert my authority at that moment. I caught his expression out of the corner of my eye as he settled back against the head__board. He was staring at Charlotte, and he was angry. _

_So he was coming to aid me, very interesting._

_I knew Caius and Jane were watching and would be looking for my reaction to being struck by a mere woman. Grabbing a handful of her hair, I yanked her face close to mine before speaking. _

"_I will not allow you to defy me. Don't ever attempt to undermine me again, do you hear me, bitch?" Charlotte actually trembled as she looked into my eyes before nodding in understanding. Another lesson Caius taught me, you have to control your woman or you will never be the head of the household._

"_Now get on the fucking bed on all fours." Quickly Charlotte did as instructed. I knew that by now Caius must have been under the impression I was letting her off easy for hitting me, something that would have been a huge demerit against me, but I wasn't finished with her yet. I walked over to the small cabinet that held sex toys, and picked out a rather large vibrating dildo and a small cloth._

_I leaned down next to Charlotte's ear before speaking softly, but still loud enough that Caius and Jane could hear. _

"_You brought this on yourself, you know. Maybe this will remind you to never fucking hit me again. You are mine to use as I please, so never fucking forget that." _

_I wiped Charlotte's pussy dry, even sliding my fingers into her to reach more of her internal juices. Taking a final swipe with the cloth, I leaned back down to her before whispering, "Scream for me." With that, I shoved the dry dildo into her as hard and as far as I could. Her piercing cries filled the room and I shot my load all over her thigh._

I woke up with a start. The room was still pitch-black except for the annoyingly bright alarm clock on Victoria's nightstand that signaled I had only been asleep for an hour. I looked over to find that she had fallen asleep just as I had left her, face down on the bed. I rolled over carefully and got on top of her and spread her legs.

Sleeping or not, I had a major-ass hard-on and I needed to relieve it. I reached down between her legs and realized she had finally dried up from our hours of sex. Well I didn't want to wake her and have to listen to her moan and complain about how I wasn't giving her enough "sweet sexy talk" as she called it. I reached to the side table and pulled out the half-used bottle of KY. After coating my cock with it, I reached down and found her pussy and slid inside. God she was so warm.

I started to rock into her, fucking her harder with each stroke. My grunting as I rode her must have awoken her, because she began to arch her ass into my groin with each stroke. Grabbing her hips and pulling her ass into the air, I wasn't waiting to find out if she really was awake or not, I just continued to fuck her hard. After a few more minutes I came and all she did was moan as I dropped her body back down onto the bed.

Rolling over again, I found myself fighting to keep my eyes open, but it was a losing battle. As soon as my eyes closed I was dreaming again.

_Caius excused Charlotte and Peter from the room as I lay there panting. Six hours. Six fucking hours of nothing but fucking. I really wasn't trying to show off. It really just took me that long to feel all of the tension from the prospect of finally finding my wife out of my system. Now I lay there on the bed completely naked with my mind in a fog. I wasn't even sure how to sit upright at that moment. _

_I felt the gentle arms of my mother scoop me up and hold me close to her body. She was rocking me like she used to when I was little. "You did wonderfully, my sweet boy," she said as she peppered my face with kiss after kiss. Her delight in my performance sent a swell of joy through my system. My father's opinion was number one on my list, but my mother's was a very close second. _

"_I'm very proud of you my boy," my father said as he placed his hand on my head, stroking my hair lovingly. "I was worried at first that you were going to allow Charlotte to get by with slapping you, but I was very proud of you for the punishment you chose for her. I must say I wouldn't have thought of that myself, but it was suitable none__the__less. She caused you pain by slapping you, and so she deserved equal pain in return. Very good judgment used tonight, my boy." _

_All I could do was smile sleepily at him as my mother continued to rock me in her arms. I was fighting sleep and she wasn't helping, but the warmth from her body was just too over__powering and I found my eyes faltering. _

"_Sleep for a little while, my child. After you awake we will go and find your bride." _

_Caius' words swept complete and total bliss through my body as I fell into a deep sleep. My bride. Very soon I'd be wrapped up in my bride's body. Very soon I'd be a husband. _

_Apparently I had slept for about three hours, and when I awoke it was in the very early morning hours. I trudged into the bathroom and showered before walking into the kitchen to find my mother cooking a large breakfast, and my father sitting at the table reading a paper. If I didn't know better I'd swear I was "The Beave" and I had just walked in to find Ward and June starting yet another blissful day._

"_Good morning sweetheart," my mother called before kissing me on my cheek. "Eat up. We have a very big day today." _

_Her smile told me all I needed to know. My performance last night had been approved, and I was to go out and hunt for my wife today. Caius just smiled proudly at me as I wolfed down my eggs and bacon. I drained my cup of orange juice in one big gulp and stood, wiping my mouth before hurriedly asking, "Can we go now?" _

_My father just laughed and set down his paper before leading me and my mother out the door. As I was leaving, I couldn't help but hear the screams coming from the bedroom just off the kitchen. As I turned to shut the door, I saw my sister leaving the room, her hands holding her pussy as she took tentative steps back to her room. My oldest brother appeared just a few second later shouting, "next time I fucking tell you to bring your ass here, I don't mean half an hour later. You had better learn your fucking place, bitch." _

_I just smiled at him. God I loved my brother. _

_We had been driving around for a while now, in and out of parking lots. Occasionally we would park and just watch the passing traffic. Jane would occasionally point out a girl as she passed, but each time they would be just a little off, not quite what I had my heart set on. _

_Caius decided that we should take a break and maybe do a little shopping of our own since we were at the mall. _

"_Sometimes when you take a break from what you are looking for, it will fall right into your lap." So we got out of the car and proceeded to walk into the mall entrance looking every bit the picture of a perfect family._

_I followed my mother around as she browsed the different sections of women's clothes. I didn't want to be here, but Dad said that it would be rare to find a suitable woman in the hunting and fishing sections._

_My mother had just entered Victoria's Secret when I saw her. I was sure at that very moment my jaw had hit the ground as I gazed longingly at her. She was perfect and exactly what I was looking for, I was sure of it. Long brown hair, beautiful green eyes with the darkest, longest lashes you've ever seen. She was just a couple of inches shorter than I was, and you could tell that she was probably just beginning puberty because her hips had a very subtle flair to them and her shirt clung to the beginnings of what I'm sure would turn out to be perfect breasts. _

_She wasn't large enough to be wearing a training bra, I was pretty sure. I was in heaven. I wanted her for my wife. I was going to enjoy watching her body blossom into the gorgeous woman I was sure she would become. I raced over to my mom and as casually as possible, while still pretty much jumping out of my skin in excitement, pointed out the girl standing a few feet away from an older lady. _

"_That's her!" It was all I needed to say before a smile completely engulfed Jane's face. Carefully, she hung back up what she had been looking at, gathered her things and shifted us to the other side of the display. _

_I was nervous. Why wasn't she doing something? What if the girl got away? But I realized at that moment that although it looked to everyone else like my mom was looking through the display of clothes, she was actually looking at my angel. _

_She sent a text to my dad and just a few short minutes later he appeared at the shop, casually walking in as though everything was fine and dandy in the world. He strolled over to us, kissing mom on the cheek before ruffling my hair playfully, but I caught him scanning the room and felt my mom's arm, that was wrapped around behind me with her hand on his hip, tense as his eyes landed on the beautiful brown-haired girl. _

_He smiled lovingly at me and nudged my jaw gently with his hand while continuing to covertly watch the girl. Eventually she left the store, but we realized she didn't leave with anyone. She came to a stop at a bench a few feet away from the store entrance and sat, waiting. So whomever she was with was still inside the store, she was just tired of browsing. _

_I casually walked over to the other end of the bench while my parents kept a watchful eye on me. Sitting down, I pulled out a bag of M&M's and began to nibble on them. I saw my brown-haired angel glancing at me from the corner of my eye and quickly looked over, casting her my most winning smile. She blushed beautifully at being caught staring. I offered her some candy, and easily started up a conversation with her. _

_I noticed that the mall arcade was a short distance away and asked her if she maybe wanted to go over there with me. We were having such a good time talking that apparently she didn't give it much thought and just followed along behind me. My parents were not far behind, staying out of my way as I wooed my beloved. _

_Twenty-five minutes and twelve dollars' worth of tokens later I was walking out of the arcade with my mother smiling ear to ear, practically on the verge of skipping. Quickly we made it out to our car and drove around to the back of the mall where my father was waiting. In his arms was my sleeping angel. As he placed her gently into the back seat, I pulled her body close to mine, holding her. I slid my fingers through her long beautiful hair before kissing her forehead. _

"_You'll make the perfect wife."_

This time I slowly awoke with a smile on my face, only to realize I was being ridden. I looked up and saw Victoria's wild head of hair whipping around as she bounced furiously on my cock. She was grabbing and yanking on her tits, moaning and grunting with each thrust. I sat up enough to grab one tit in my mouth biting down on her tender nipple. Instead of slapping me like Charlotte did, she just rode me harder and I swear I heard her mutter, "that's it Daddy, make me your little bitch."

I sucked and sucked and sucked so hard that it became a combination of Victoria pulling my hair to get my face away from her swollen tit, and pulling me more forcefully to her to suck her deeper into my mouth.

She reached down and grabbed my balls and gave them a sharp twist which caused me to fucking shoot every drop of my jizz up into her sweet pussy as she screamed my name, cumming as well.

I lifted her off of me, casting her to the side gently before getting up and going to her bathroom. It was about noon and I told her I was going to take a quick shower and asked if she'd fix me something to eat.

After I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist, I walked out into the bedroom. The house was quiet except for the low sounds coming from the TV in the living room. I stopped in shock at what I saw.

"_We do not currently have a name, but we do have a person of interest we are currently trying to locate for questioning. If you see this man, please do not try to approach him as he is considered to be armed and dangerous. Rather, contact the bureau or the local Forks PD with the sighting information. By no means should you approach this man. He is wanted in questioning for at least four murders." _

Mother fucker! That shit-ass brother bear was on the screen giving a press conference. _Fuck ME! _The next thing I knew a color photo of my face flashed onto the screen with phone numbers below it to call with information. I knew at that moment I was fucked.

And I knew in that moment that no matter how light in the feathers I thought Victoria was, she had figured out in that instant who had been fucking her senseless. She slowly deadpanned, turning her entire body towards me. It seemed like hours passed instead of just seconds. In that same instant I dashed to her, grabbing her body forcefully to mine and knocking her unconscious as she let out the sweetest music to my ears.

At the top of her lungs…she screamed and I was instantly hard.

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_AN: Ok so what did you think? And to answer a question straight off…no that is not Bella he snatched as a child. It was his first wife. I just need you to see why he's choosing dark haired women, who remind him of her. She will appear in one more flashback before we are done. So keep your eyes open and hopefully along the way you will see the pieces of who this man really is, fall into place. _

_Question 1: What do you think so far? Is he demented, evil, or is he bad by creation, not of his own free will? I'd love to hear your opinions._

_Question 2: Do you think I'm not making Edward "man" enough? That he's coming off as kinda wimpy? Or is Sweet-ward a good addition to this story? Now granted he will have his tough moments later…but right now is he so sugary sweet that you just can't stand him or is he just about right? _

_And again I hope that I haven't turned anyone off because of the graphic nature, but it was necessary for you to better understand what exactly made the monster._


	23. Chapter 23

**Twilight is an amazing piece of work solely owned by Stephenie Meyer.**

_A/N: It's my dream to one day produce something so well written that my only thought is to have it published, it's just that good. _

_Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I really hope you have enjoyed it so far I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter. _

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EPOV

After this morning's press conference, Emmett and I returned to the department, made posters, and pretty much plastered his face everywhere. There wasn't a light pole, store window, or bulletin board in the city limits of Forks that wasn't covered with at least one flyer with this guy's face on it. I wanted the area saturated with his mug. The more trapped he felt, the less likely he was going to be able to just walk in and out of places without someone recognizing him.

I sat down at my desk and looked over my growing list of things to do this morning. I had called Bella earlier and told her about the rough night I had and made apologies for not making it for breakfast like I had promised.

She of course was disappointed, but completely understood. I could tell by the way she clipped the end of her sentence that she was doing her best to remember that there was a time and place for her to baby me and worry about why I didn't sleep well, and right then wasn't the time. I loved her for that. She really was trying.

My phone started ringing as I was adding yet another thing to my to-do list.

"Agent Cullen," I rasped out before I cleared my throat.

"Sweetheart?" my mom's bell like voice rang out over the line. "Hey mom. How are you doing?"

"A lot better than you, apparently. Are you coming down with something?"

I could hear the "mother tone" kicking into full-gear as she spoke. I knew I needed to redirect her fast or I'd find myself holed-up in bed with a thermometer in my mouth before I knew it.

"No I'm fine, really. Look I was meaning to call you today. I have a big project coming up and I really could use your help with it." A smile spread wide across my face as I continued. "It's a surprise for Bella and I know how you love preparing surprises." I knew I had her hook, line and sinker when I heard my mother's squeal over the line.

"Of course I'll help. I can't wait. When can we meet to talk about it?" If I would have given her the green light, I knew she would have been over here in less than twenty minutes.

"Well I promised Bella a late lunch, so how about I come over say about three and we can talk about it? I need to swing by Charlie's to pick something up anyway." I could hear her feet tapping on the floor as I imagined her dancing around in circles, so excited to start.

"Alright sweetheart," she said trying to gain her composure. "I'll see you around three."

I sighed, taking a deep breath, both for the fact that she was so eager to help me and that she dropped the questions about how I was feeling.

"Oh and sweetie, don't think your subtle change of subject with the surprise made me forget about the scratchy throat I heard when you answered the phone." I didn't need to see her to know she was smirking at me. My mom never missed a beat. "I'll just get my answers this afternoon when I see you again. Give Bella my love and tell her I'll be over tonight about seven with a late dinner, and I'll bring enough for you too."

After saying our goodbyes, I hung up the phone shaking my head. My mom, she had a way about her that just made you love her. I quickly bagged up my things, made my way out to my car, and headed to the waffle house on the corner. I might have missed breakfast with my girl, but that didn't mean that I had to miss the food too.

I got three platters of the "hungry man special", a large container of coffee with lots of sugar - my girl has a sweet tooth when it came to her coffee - and a carton of milk and juice each. Anything we didn't finish we could put into the little fridge by the bed that Emmett had set up for Bella.

Making it to the hospital in record time, I was just about to enter when I heard Emmett's voice from the other side of the door.

"Bella. You have to take this seriously. The shit this guy is pulling may be a game to him, but it is deadly to everyone else. I won't lose my little sister to this animal because she tried to play the martyr."

I felt bad eavesdropping, but wasn't sure if I really should go in there or not. So instead I just turned around and went to the small waiting room across the hall. It wasn't two seconds after I sat down that Emmett came out. He waved at me before walking towards the elevator. We were taking today pretty light.

Normal procedure meant that after releasing a huge piece of information like the picture, we would spend the first twelve hours merely gathering information through a tip hotline. The first twelve hours were always a mad house as every tip imaginable came in.

Rarely did we ever actually take action on leads during that time because most of them, if you really listened to what the caller was saying, made no sense at all. Over two-thirds of them turned out to be false. After the first twenty-four hours, the influx slowed down a bit. That's when credible leads would be followed up on and we'd finally be able to weed out the crazies from the stuff that made sense.

So I had about a day and a half before I really had to buckle down and hit leads to flush them out. I picked up my supplies and headed into Bella's room, knocking softly before letting myself in. I came through the door and caught a glimpse of Bella wiping her face with a tissue before looking up at me and smiling.

Emmett had the right, not only as her brother but as the second investigator on this case, to talk to her about what happened. So there was no way I was going to berate him for what he said to her. I truly believed that Bella understood what she did was wrong and wouldn't be making that mistake twice, but it was still hard to watch her so miserable when she knew she messed up so badly.

I pulled the dinner table over to her bed before sitting down and taking out our meal. She still hadn't said anything except for a small "thank you" when I handed her a knife and fork. She picked up a piece of bacon and nibbled on it before I just couldn't take the silence anymore.

"I noticed Emmett leaving when I arrived," I said softly, hoping this would cause her to open up. She hated it when her big brother was disappointed in her and I knew she would want to talk.

"Yep."

"Was everything all right?" Okay, so maybe I wasn't going to get her to open up.

"Yep."

I paused, waiting to see if she would add to that before looking down and stabbing a piece of pancake and stuffing it into my mouth.

"I made sure he knew that I swore to be open to both of you about everything," she sniffled a little before biting into her pancakes too. She swallowed before she continued.

"I really am sorry, Edward." She looked at me as she spoke, her brown eyes tearing up, and I knew I had to say something to make her smile. I jumped up and kissed her as I slid the tips of my fingers down her cheek and ran the tip of my tongue against her lips before pulling back and smacking my lips.

"Yum, syrup." This set her into giggles and the tears stopped.

It was right around two-thirty when Rosalie showed up carrying a computer bag, no doubt holding Bella's laptop. The start of another school semester was coming up quicker than any of us realized and Bella was determined that her hospital stay wasn't going to set her back.

She was starting in August no matter what. So that meant she would eventually need to settle down and start working on some lesson plans. Rosalie was a huge help in this area because she was a wonderful sounding board for ideas. Bella always believed that she would have made a wonderful teacher. She was authoritative when needed and yet very patient when it came to explaining things.

I kissed Bella before I left. I made sure to pass along my mother's message about a late supper at seven and promised I would be back in time. I made a quick dash to Charlie's, grabbing what I needed before heading over to my parents' house.

My father has always loved Forks and never planned on moving. He wasn't ostentatious by any means, and in fact the more simple his life, the better he felt, but you don't move to a new area with two small children and a wife who makes her living as an interior decorator and expect to find yourself in a quaint little three bedroom home with a picket fence.

As I drove up the winding drive toward my childhood home, I couldn't help but smile. Okay so we had the picket fence. That was a must for my father. However the rest of the house was all my mother's. The front lawn was covered in flower beds. Roses, sunflowers, dandelions, tulips, lilies - you name it, my mother grew it. When she found out that Bella's favorite flower was the violet rose, she planted an entire bed so that I could give them to her anytime I wanted to. Natural violet roses can be very hard to find.

After doing this for Bella, she naturally found out each of our favorite flowers and planted beds for all six of her children. The house looked so much like the home that Bella and I had picked out. It had a wrap-around porch, where I spent many an hour as a child chasing after my little brown-haired beauty, huge cathedral ceilings so that you could see from the living room all the way up to the third floor landing, and state of the art everything.

My mother and Bella both loved to cook, so the kitchen was always being updated with some new gadget they would try out. The entertainment room had tons of electrical equipment for when we boys came home for a visit. We may be grown men, but Emmett, Jasper and I all loved our Xbox360 and I even caught the girl's occasionally playing with the Wii. Granted they were normally doing the exercise, yoga or dance program, but still it was the principle. So they rarely said anything to us when we would veg-out in front of the tube for hours at a time.

Walking into the house, I took in the delicious smell. My mom was cooking white macadamia nut cookies, my favorite.

"Mom," I called before slipping my shoes off at the door and proceeding to the kitchen. She poked her head out from around the corner just as I was coming in.

"Edward," she smile sweetly and wrapped me up in a big hug for such a small woman, and pushed me towards an empty bar chair. She grabbed a couple of glasses and poured us each a glass of milk, then grabbed four cookies each and placed them in front of me.

I looked down at the stack of cookies. It was then that I noticed the four other large stacks of cookies that were spread out on the kitchen counter. I couldn't help my smirk as I looked to her for an explanation. She realized what I was smiling at and huffed at me.

"Well what else did you expect me to do while I was waiting for you? You wouldn't tell me what the surprise was over the phone so I had to do something to keep myself busy or I'd go mad." It was not hard to tell in that moment where Alice got it from.

I decided to put her out of her misery and pulled out the large notebook that I had gotten from Charlie's.

"Mom, what I'm about to show you can't go any further than me and you for right now okay?" I gave her the most serious look I could without cracking up. "Remember I said it was a surprise for Bella, and if too many people start getting wind of it, they might let it slip to her. She deserves a good surprise after all the shit she's been through lately."

I cringed as I realized my use of a "wordy-dird", as we called it as kids, but the slap to the back of the head never came. Instead I saw my mom smile at me before holding up three fingers in the boy scouts salute. I didn't bother to mention to her that there was no way she could have been a boy scout as she was a girl, and just continued.

I opened up the binder to the first page and I knew by her gasp she knew exactly what I had brought to show her. "Our Home" was printed out in bold colorful writing. Ever since we had found the house, Bella had been decorating it in her mind and on paper. She meticulously took pictures of every room and placed them on the pages. She listed everything from paints, border trims, wallpapers where needed, furniture, including where to buy it and at what prices. She had it completely planned out all the way down to the perfect welcome mat at the front and back patio doors. As my mom turned the pages, completely mesmerized over how thorough Bella was with the lay out, I quickly explained what I needed.

"Mom we got the house." I knew that she'd be excited but I never expected the squeal that came from her or the way she nearly toppled us both over as she grabbed me into a hug.

"Oh this is so exciting. Bella has done a wonderful job with picking everything out."

She flipped through the book and I could see her mind working out exactly how long it would take her to get all of it finished to Bella's specifications. All she needed was for me to say "go" and she'd be burning up her speed dial. I hated to rein her in, but it had to be done.

"Now mom, I know you're excited and so am I, but I don't want you to decorate my house for me." She closed the binder quickly and hugged it to her chest, pouting like I had just given her a new toy and told her she could only look at it and not actually play with it.

"Well, not entirely that is." Hearing this, she relaxed her death grip a little on the binder but still didn't put it down.

"Edward, don't tease your mother, it's not nice."

I laughed. No it might not be nice, but it was definitely funny.

"What I mean to say is that I need your help in doing _some_ of it. I want this to be a project for Bella to work on. Besides, some of her tastes might have changed in the past six months. There are a few things that I know for certain we decided on together and I need you to help me set those up. Then after she's out of the hospital and I've surprised her with the house, I'm sure she'll want your help to finish the rest so we can be completely moved in by the time school starts."

The squeals of excitement started again and I knew I had made amends. She grabbed her memo pad and started taking notes as I pointed out the things I was sure I needed done before we spent our first night there. The first was the painting. I had no intention of Bella and me sleeping in the house suffering through paint fumes.

My mother already knew who she'd use to get it done. Apparently she was a big supporter of keeping work local and planned on using Sam Uley's crew from LaPush. Quil and Embry were his permanent workers and Seth Clearwater helped him on weekends for extra cash. I had no problem with this. It would be nice to know that there wouldn't be strangers in my house. Sam was also qualified to handle the high-speed cable and internet hook-ups I wanted in every room as well.

I wanted the bedroom and master bath to be completely done. I had a special evening planned for the first official night we would stay there and needed to be sure we were comfortable. She asked if she could call on Alice and Rosalie to help, but I asked her to keep it just between us for now. Dad could know, because he was like a steel trap and could actually keep a secret, but that was it. At least for now.

I kissed her cheek before I headed out, and she was already on the phone to Sam making plans for him to come this week to start. If I hurried I had just enough time to get to our realtor's office, pick up the keys, and sign off on the final paperwork. It was very exciting to get this whole process started.

After I got back I gave a key to my mom and kept the other four to decide on later, then I drove over to our new place. To say that it was picturesque would be putting it mildly. That was the only thing you could call a home located at 100 Acre-Wood Lane. Yes, part of the reason Bella loved this house was because the address was where Winnie the Pooh lived.

The house was located up a long, winding, paved lane. All along that lane were cherry blossom trees of all colors in full bloom. All of our acreage was secured by a beautifully crafted black wrought-iron fence around the entire property. There was a call box at the front gate where people called to be let in, but otherwise it stayed closed, giving a good sense of security. I knew that no matter how strong Bella was behaving now, the sense of security our new home would give her would be very important. We had a wrap-around porch and a huge front and back yard. There was even a swing installed on the front porch near the side door's.

I parked my car at the front of the house, stepped out, and just gazed in complete satisfaction. I was about to enter our new home. The front door alone was beautiful. It was a large cherry oak door with a stained glass window covering the upper half. On both sides of the door were window panes from top to bottom to allow you to sneak a peek out before actually opening it. Once inside you were met with room after room of beautifully polished hardwood floors. Bella loved this feature and insisted that nothing be carpeted other than the bedrooms.

I closed my eyes as I stood in the foyer and I swear I could almost hear Bella walking from room to room, laughing or talking. I could imagine her in the kitchen already cooking up some delicious meal that would fill the house with wonderful scents. I went to the second floor. The master bedroom door was cracked open and I walked inside.

I could imagine the king-sized canopy bed against the wall in front of the built in fireplace, and Bella's dressing table with all her personal items lying on top of it. I couldn't wait till I could get her here so we could continue on with our lives, leaving the last few weeks behind us.

The next room was to stay empty for a little while, but she had asked that it be painted an egg-shell yellow, a nice neutral color. This would be our first child's room. She wanted to be sure we were ready for whenever it happened. We had talked about marriage often, especially recently, and she was really looking forward to when we would start trying for a baby. She was going to be an amazing mother, I just knew it.

As I closed the house back up and drove away, I knew that Bella was my future and that as long as I was with her, everything would be wonderful.

* * *

?POV

I sat there at Victoria's bedside waiting for her to wake up. Knocking her out was the easy part, but I usually had my shit together to tie them down before I did it. So I had to quickly scrounge around her house to find what I needed, hoping that she wouldn't wake up before I was ready. Now that I was ready all I wanted her to do was to wake up.

It was actually a turn-on, her lying there right now, completely out. Maybe I would have a little fun while she couldn't resist. I crawled down between her legs and spread her wide. She was dry as a bone but I didn't mind. I just wanted to eat her out for a while. I slowly started to drag my tongue along her pussy until I reached her clit. Dragging my teeth against it before biting down on her. This caused her to moan, even in her current state. The little slut enjoyed this, and I knew it.

Again and again I dragged my tongue up and down as I slipped my tongue into her. Her body was responding to me even if she didn't realize it. I could hear her moaning and her head moved back and forth against the pillow, as she started waking up. I tightened the grip I had on her legs as she tried to kick, realizing far too late that she had wanted to fight before she passed out. I buried my face into her pussy, eating her out harder and harder as her muffled screams filled the room. Eventually she was coming all over me, her back arching off of the bed as I drank her down.

I reached down to the rope I had attached to the end of the bed earlier and slid her feet into it before she realized I had released my hold on one leg. I climbed up her body, pressing my full weight onto her, letting her feel my hard cock pressed against her.

"Good morning sleepy-head. Or should I say good afternoon. You've been asleep a very long time."

I couldn't help the sound of my voice. It always came out playful whenever I started with a new subject. I ran my tongue up the side of her face, tasting her skin. She was panting under my weight so I shifted slightly to the side so she wouldn't pass out again.

I smoothed back her hair from her face and I let my hand trail down her body, touching her everywhere as I spoke.

"I'm actually very sorry about this, Victoria." Her eyes were locked on me and I confess the utter fear I saw in them made my cock painfully hard. "I was still debating on whether or not I should kill you up until I saw you watching that report on T.V. Now I don't have any choice."

Her cried were just egging me on. God how I loved to hear them beg, but the duct tape over her mouth was preventing any real pleas from escaping.

"But before I kill you, I am going to tell you a story. It's not a very long one, but I think it's only fair that you understand why it is that you have to die." She started to cry harder now, no longer the soft whimpers from just moments before. I shushed her gently.

"You mustn't interrupt my story once I get started now."

Reaching down, I cupped her big tit in my hand and began massaging it and squeezing it. No woman could resist having her tits played with and I knew this would get her wet whether she wanted it to or not, no matter how my little story went.

"It all started when I was thirteen years old. My family believed that when you turned thirteen you were a man and it was your right to take a wife. For a whole year my mother and father taught me how to fuck, and fuck well, so that I could please her in bed once I found her."

Victoria's breathing was picking up and I had to soothe her so that she wouldn't hyperventilate. I bent down and took one rosy nipple in my mouth and gently suckled her, flicking the tip with my tongue.

"God, baby you taste so good." Her breathing was still quick, but it had turned noticeably from panic to excitement so I continued with my story.

"It took me a little while but I found her. She was beautiful. Long brown-hair that went all the way to her hips. She was only ten when I took her, but I loved her none-the-less. She became the perfect wife. The first time I took her she cried the whole time because it hurt. I tried to soothe her fears and held her each time I fucked her. She was so tight and I know I tore her a little because even at thirteen I had a large cock." Victoria began to cry again, one tear after another slipping down her face.

"But I knew that if I didn't break her in, that when she had to sleep with my father he'd really hurt her. He was a lot bigger than I was then. So the first week we were man and wife I just kept riding her. I fucked her every way possible. Eventually instead of crying, I made her moan with pleasure. I swear the first time I heard that I was in heaven."

Slowly I slid my hand down Victoria's body and slid my fingers into her pussy. I knew she'd get wet the more I played with her body. They all did.

"Her name was Elizabeth. She was only mine for one year until that night I had to send her to my father. That was the hardest night of my life. She clung to me, begging me not to do that to her. But you had to know my dad. You didn't mess with him. His rule was that he slept with every woman in the compound. No exceptions. But he was gentle with my Lizzie. He only fucked her once and then called me to come get her. She limped the whole way back to our house because he hurt her inside. For two days I didn't touch her. Not because I didn't want her. No, far from it. I was trying to respect her and let her body heal. However, on the third day I just couldn't take it anymore. I pulled her on me and showed her how to ride me. She did, even though she was still very sore. Afterwards she slept on my chest as I held her. She fell asleep crying. She actually thought that I had left her alone for two days because I didn't want her anymore."

Victoria was moaning more and more behind the gag as I continued my ministrations on her body.

"Lizzie was a wonderful wife. When she turned fourteen, Caius, my dad, made it known that Lizzie was off-limits to everyone but him and me. No other man was allowed to take her. I was so grateful to him for that. I knew that meant we were clear to try for a child. You see, until a woman was placed off-limits you couldn't get her pregnant. We trained our young with our partners and if she was to accidentally get pregnant, we couldn't risk a miscarriage of a male heir."

As I continued my story I slowly climbed on top of Victoria and slid up into her quickly. It caused her body to shake and jiggle in the most delicious ways. As I began to slowly ride her, I continued with my story through my grunts of pleasure.

"God Lizzie was beautiful pregnant. She had just turned 15 when we found out. It was our first, and unfortunately our last." I added that last part by bending down and biting Victoria's nipple hard, leaving a deep imprint of my teeth in her skin.

"You see my bitch little sister ended up calling social services on my family. Our compound was raided. They took Lizzie and my baby from me. I never even got to see my son born." I was now thrusting harder into her.

"They threw my parents in jail and put me in juvenile detention because I had no other living relatives. They took Lizzie back to her parents. She kept writing to me, begging me to come and take her home, and that she needed me. It broke my heart because I wanted to be there when my son was born. She wrote to me to tell me when he came and that she named him after me. I was so happy. They had to let me out in three months because I would turn eighteen and I planned on going and taking Lizzie and my boy away."

I was pounding harder and harder into her body because the next part of my story always made my blood boil.

"By the time I finally got to her parents' old address, she and my son were gone. Her fucking parents had moved them and left me nothing. No forwarding address, no nothing. I had lost her completely." I leaned down and bit hard into Victoria's neck, making her scream out behind the gag. I broke the skin on that bite causing the creamy complexion to be marred by a slight trace of blood. Licking my lips, I continued.

I moved back, sat up on my knees, and brought her down hard onto my shaft again.

"I was furious that I had been forced to give up my family. My Lizzie, my boy, they meant the world to me, and the fucking FBI took them from me. So I spent the next few months tracking down Christina, my little sister."

For the next part I leaned down close to Victoria's ear as I whispered, "She was the first person I ever killed and it served her right."

* * *

EPOV

My mom was a machine!

She had been working non-stop for the past two days finishing everything she could. Bella was set to be released, if everything went as planned, on Thursday instead of Friday. Turns out that the antibiotics finally kicked into gear and her infection was working it's way out of her system.

The redness of her tattoo had gone away completely and she had no tenderness when she lay down on it to sleep. All of the improvements to her listed condition were making her downright giddy because she knew that meant her release date was being bumped up and if Bella could escape the hospital a few days sooner than scheduled, she was going to do it.

It was Monday morning and I was heading out to the station after having spent yet another night at the hospital. I abided by Bella's rule about spending that one night at the house. She never said I had to continue doing it. So when I showed up once again with my overnight bag, I knew she wouldn't push the subject again. She was as bad as I was. We weren't going to be apart, period.

I stopped off at the nurse's station to speak to Jackie who was working the late shift.

"Jackie, what are you doing pulling the night shift? I thought you normally work the nine to nine shift."

"That's what I'm supposed to work and will have to work today. One of our nurses didn't show up, so I got pulled in early." She already looked so tired that I couldn't imagine her having to work yet another ten-hour shift.

"Well who's out today?" I admit the curiosity was killing me even if it really wasn't any of my business.

"Victoria. She hasn't called in or anything. That's not like her to just blow off work like that."

The worried expression on her face made me wish I could give her some answers. As I said my goodbyes and made my way to the elevator my cell phone went off, alerting me I had a text message.

_360 Whispering Springs Lane_

I closed my phone, not recognizing the address. I was on the way to the station anyway and figured I'd ask Charlie once I got there. He's lived here all his life so I'm sure he would know or could find out for me.

As I got into my car and started the engine, the same text showed up yet again on my phone.

_360 Whispering Springs Lane_

Okay well that was definitely odd and apparently it couldn't wait for me to get to the station. I quickly called Charlie and asked him to find out who lived at that address. There was a short pause before he came back on the line.

"A woman named Victoria Roberts lives there. Why, do you know her?"

It was hard to hide the shock that crossed my face as I connected the dots. Jackie had just said that she hadn't come in to work, something she had never done. I looked up and noticed her Mustang was also sitting in what looked to be the exact same spot I had seen it Friday. Could the killer really have just sent me a text message telling me where to find his next kill?

I sped through town and I made it there in record time. I had asked Charlie to call my dad to have him meet me at that address and to have all available hands sent there as well. If I was correct, this wasn't going to be pretty at all.

Just as I was getting out of my car, Emmett arrived. After quickly surveying the area, we approached the house, guns drawn. Victoria didn't answer when we called for her and we found the front door unlocked. This didn't look good so far. When we opened the front door, a noxious smell hit us.

It could only be described as a combination of Clorox and death. After we allowed it to air out a bit, we proceeded to enter and scan the house. There was no sign of the killer, but once again he had left us another victim. Quickly we exited the house, careful not to disturb anything.

As we exited, Charlie's crew was just pulling up. Even though the town was small, they had two deputies thoroughly trained in Crime Scene Investigation so we didn't have to call out our own from the bureau. This was good because it would have taken hours for them to get here.

We stood outside instructing the second deputy as to the different photos we needed and also walked a grid to see if there was any outside evidence. The first deputy was inside gathering evidence there. The coroner was also with her, reviewing the body. I might not have known Victoria very well, but her death was still hard to take, especially because all the evidence so far pointed to her being yet another victim of the Judgment killer.

"Officer Cullen, Officer Swan, would you come here a minute?" the coroner called us over to where he was standing just outside the doorway. He led us slowly and carefully into the house and over to the body. "Here, you might need this." He handed us a small vile that held a gooey substance. He instructed us to put a small dab under our nose to help fight off the stench.

Taking a metal pointer out of his jacket pocket, he began to point out his observations. "She's been sodomized with several objects. There is tearing of both the anus and vaginal areas. Some of these bruises on her arms and legs are post-mortem."

A dead body would never be easy for me to look at, but one that was this brutalized made it even harder. She had been beaten both before and after she died. I could see the faint outlines of fingerprints on her neck where he had apparently choked her. Her eyes were the hardest to see. He had left them open for effect, I was certain, and the broken capillaries from the strangling made them almost entirely red.

The coroner's voice broke through my thoughts, bringing me back to the present. "And see here, and here?" Again he pointed to what appeared to be bite marks. "If I didn't know better I'd swear whoever did this to her was a vampire. I counted fifteen of these. Some were shallow, the kind you'd make in rougher but consensual sex, but other's were so deep he penetrated down to the muscle."

Emmett and I both cringed at this. Biting, especially that deep, was often a sign of rage being acted out. The bodies of the victims so far had not been quite this brutalized. I couldn't help but wonder what had caused such a vicious attack this time.

Up until now Emmett had been so quiet, taking everything in, that when he spoke it actually startled me a bit.

"What's all this white stuff all over her body?" It was the first time I actually took note of the white powdery substance that had caked every inch of her skin. It even seemed to be dried into her hair.

"Clorox," the coroner said disgustedly. "This guy's done everything he can think of to contaminate the crime scene so that we can't find solid evidence."

I was actually crestfallen at this point. It was obvious that this was the work of the Judgment killer, but without and solid link to him, Victoria's might end up technically as an unsolved murder. I scrubbed my hand down my face and rubbed the back of my neck. Stress was making it so tight.

"But, apparently this guy either wasn't thinking thoroughly or just assumed we wouldn't think of it." The Coroner motioned for us to look closer at a particular wound. "This bite goes all the way down to her muscle, solid tissue. Get me a mold of this guy's teeth and it will be just like fingerprints. It will be enough to connect him to her murder."

You could almost see the light bulb go on over Emmett's head before he spoke, and he didn't look happy about what he was going to say. "But what stops him from saying it wasn't just a bite that happened during consensual sex? I mean you did point out there were others like that."

I turned my attention back to the coroner. So far he had been able to pull a few rabbits out of his hat, let's see if he could do it again.

"See here and here," he pointed again to around the deep wound. "There is no bruising, which means no blood collected around the bite. That means it was done after her heart stopped pumping the blood, after it stopped circulating through her system. After she was dead. I'd like to see him explain exactly why he was biting on a dead woman." The smugness in his voice was evident and after an explanation like that, neither Emmett nor I could blame him.

"Oh there is one more very important thing I need for you to see." After calling an assistant over to help him, the coroner very gently rolled Victoria's body over so that it was laying face down on the mattress. Nothing more was needed to be said.

Carved into her back, in a vicious scrawl, was Victoria's "judgment."

_Far Too Trusting But One Hell of A Ride_

* * *

After exiting the house, Emmett headed over to fill Charlie in on the latest developments while I headed towards my car. On my way there I noticed a young woman standing on the other side of the barricaded line crying and anxiously looking around as though she wanted to get someone's attention. Once she noticed me staring at her, she waved frantically for me to come over.

As I did, I began to analyze everything about this woman, cataloging details about her in my mind. It was hard sometimes to cut off my suspicious mind. I noticed everything, from the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, to the way she twisted her hands nervously. There wasn't anything about her that made me feel leery of her. She was about 5'8, shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and an athletic build. She began speaking frantically as soon as I got to her and I noticed she had an accent, Scottish maybe English, I wasn't quite sure.

"I know the girl who lives here. Is she ok? Where is she? Can I speak to her?" Her bottom lip trembled as she kept speaking faster and faster with each question.

All I could do was hold my hands up trying to get her to slow down. "Ma'am, ma'am, please slow down. Now, tell me your name."

With her sniffles, tears and wiping her face with the cuff of her sweatshirt, I barely heard her answer.

"Dee-Dee Fredericks. Victoria's been one of my best friends since she moved here. Is she ok? Why won't you tell me what's happened? Did this have anything to do with that guy who was here earlier?" That last part really caught my attention.

"There was a man here earlier? Can you describe him?" She proceeded to describe the killer exactly. She even had a partial license plate from his car. When I asked her why she would notice that and write it down, she explained that something about the situation just seemed off to her.

It wasn't unusual for Victoria to have someone over to the house, but for them to stay in for three days and never leave, seemed very odd, - and apparently Victoria never picked up any of the numerous calls she made. The machine wouldn't even pick up. Apparently Victoria never allowed her machine to be shut off because her mother, who was elderly, lived out of town and she never wanted to run the risk of missing a call from her. So when she saw the dark car racing away early this morning, she took notice.

Unfortunately, after being as helpful as she was, I had the daunting task of informing her about what happened to Victoria. I barely got the words out before she literally collapsed against me, sobbing. I waved over a female officer over and I gently passed Dee-Dee off to her so she could compose herself. Death is easy for the dead. It was never easy on those it left behind.

* * *

?POV

I parked my car at the curb of the convenience store two blocks down from Victoria's. I stood in the shadows of the alley-way as I watched the silver Volvo fly past me. To say I was smirking as I watched that fucker race to the house I had left only a littler earlier would be putting it mildly. I was down-right giddy. Yet again I had gotten away with another murder. Would these idiots ever learn? There was just no stopping me.

I turned around to enter the store when I came face-to-face with…my face. There staring back at me on the store window was my wanted poster.

_Shit!_

As I turned back towards my car, I looked further down the street. On every light pole, in every store front, even on the damn blue mail-box, my face was glaring back at me. I walked over to the nearest light pole, yanked down my picture and balled it up.

_Fuck!_

* * *

_A/N: So this is the longest chapter I've written to date. There was a lot that needed to be covered in order for us to move on to happier times. Next chapter I'm thinking will be Bella's release. So I'm going to say tentatively that it will be a lighter fluffier chapter. I think after all of the heavy stuff as of late, you guys deserve a little break. I can't promise it will be total fluff, but hopefully it will still be exciting. _

_To my girl Dee-Dee, did ya see? I even let ya hold on to my Edward as you cried. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted LOL. _

_To my beta Irritable Grizzzley…as always…you're a wonderful example of an uncontrollable, but loveable Alice. And anyone who knows me knows that Alice is my favorite character. Edward will always be my heart's desire but I so wish I had a best friend like Alice. She's just the coolest and so are you girl! _

_Thank you so much to all of you who are reading my story. Your reviews are so encouraging to me._

SIDE NOTE: _And Irritable Grizzzley don't hate me because I added this after you beta'd my chapter. This is to my readers. I've started writing another story called "A Care Package." It involves Militaryward and some serious action as he is stationed overseas. But of course there is a love story involved. I've only dabbled with it so far, but my wonderful beta has already fixed my first chapter for me. _

_So I'm wondering, should I post it and work on two stories at once or do you think I should wait till Judgment is completed? Like Judgment, I truly love my new story and want it to be read and enjoyed. You are all such faithful readers, I'd love to hear your thoughts. _


	24. Memory Lane: Chapter 24

**Twilight is completely and totally owned by Stephenie Meyer. I just enjoy playing in the world they exist in.**

_A/N: I'm so sorry that it's been a while since my last update. I've been struggling with this chapter because of its importance not only to me, but in Bella and Edward's life as well. Even though you've had to wait I truly hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much to those that kept after me about updating. Knowing you are so interested to see more to send me a message really picked up my spirits. _

_**Word of warning though…if you don't like Sweetward, or Romanticward or even Sappyward…don't read this chapter!! I don't want to end up taking a lot of heat because my Edward actually notices things about his life with Bella. He's better than Rhett Butler anyday. **_

_Thank you to my beta Irritable Grizzzly who does such a great job at reading over my random thoughts and helping me to turn them into actual paragraphs. And if you haven't had a chance to read over her profile yet, take my suggestion and read it. _

_As you may or may not notice, this chapter actually has a title. It's a pretty important chapter so I figured it deserved one. _

_I hope you enjoy it. _

* * *

BPOV

Ten o'clock. Carlisle had told me on Wednesday that by this time on Thursday morning, I would be released, so here I sat on the edge of the bed waiting impatiently for him to come back with my release forms so I could blow this Popsicle stand.

I had already dressed in the clothes that Alice brought me to wear home, although I refused to wear the three-inch heels she included. Hospital policy demanded that I be wheeled to the car from my room, so it didn't look like a lot of walking would be scheduled for my immediate future anyway.

As my leg continued to bounce up and down, anxiously to get out of here, I couldn't help but look down a at the silver charm of my bracelet that held the two precious gems from my Edward.

FLASHBACK

"_Carlisle, is there anyway that I can get my personal items released to me early? I've really missed my bracelet." I had worn it for so many years that it practically felt like it was a part of me. My wrist felt naked without its lightweight dangling there. _

_Alice and Edward had been sitting with me most of the day. Edward was sitting in the nearest chair, flipping through random channels on the T.V., while Alice was carrying on about the latest Vogue magazine and how "high fashion" left a lot to be desired these days. _

"_I mean who in their right minds would wear any of this stuff?" _

_Personally I just enjoyed hearing her sweet, perky voice again. Since I had gone into the hospital a few weeks ago Alice had been different, sedated almost. Like the life had been drained out of her. _

_Esme had a long talk with her one night and it turned out she was harboring some serious remorse about the night she and Rose found me. No matter how much we tried to explain to her there was nothing she could have done to change what happened, she still decided that she should have noticed something was wrong when I never called to check in with anyone. _

"_Any real friend would have realized it, and for that I'm deeply sorry. I'll pay closer attention in the future. I won't let you down again," was her tear-filled promise to me. _

_I hated that she felt this way, like she had let me down, but no amount of convincing was going to change her mind. At least she acted like she felt better after she got it off of her chest. The spark of the little firecracker seemed to have returned almost completely. _

_As soon as my request left my mouth all three of them looked away from me. _

"_Carlisle? You still have the items I came in with, right? I mean the hospital didn't lose them did they?" I added that last part with a worried chuckle. I didn't think the hospital would lose my things, but there had to have been a reason they were being evasive. _

"_Edward?" I called, finally getting him to look at me again. His brow furrowed in thought before he spoke. "Bella, love, when you were admitted the only things that were logged was an old tattered men's dress shirt. You didn't have anything else on you." _

_It was like my brain refused to accept what he was saying. I didn't have anything else on me? That couldn't be right. I even slept in my bracelet. It never came off my wrist unless I was afraid I would damage it somehow, and there was no way that I would have gone to spend three whole days at a spa without having it there to remind me of him. I clutched his hands in mine and just kept shaking my head like the motion would clear my mind. This didn't make sense._

_I looked into Edward's eyes and I tried hard to slow my breathing, because I could feel it rising faster and faster, as I thought about the possibilities of where it could be. _

"_Edward. You have…have to find it…find it for me Edward." I pleaded as tears began to stream down my cheeks. All he could do was hold me as I clutched him tightly. My chest became so tight as I continued to beg Edward over and over to find it._

"_Find it Edward. Please find it. Find it." His gentle shushes were all I heard as I kept chanting my mantra, begging for a different result than I was currently getting. _

_The bed dipped gently as Alice's light frame sat near my feet. "Sweetie, where did you last have it?" she asked. _

_Where _did_ I last have it?_

"_I never take it off unless I'm afraid I'll mess it up somehow. I must have had it on in the car." I gasped as something crossed my mind. "OH God Edward, you don't think…" I couldn't finish my sentence as my lips trembled so bad my teeth began to chatter. _

_He pulled me tightly back into his arms, brushing my hair back away from my face, trying so hard to calm me back down. "Baby I'll get you a new one, something better. More stones on it if it will make you happy. Maybe something gold this time, hmm?" _

_It wasn't that I just lost a piece of jewelry. It was more like losing a special memory. _

"_Bella, didn't you tell me you were helping the kids finger__-__paint on the last day of school? Wouldn't you have taken it off to do that? Maybe it's still at school." Alice's sad voice gave me just the spark of hope I needed. I quickly threw back the covers and flung my legs over the side, hopping up quickly and catching them all off-guard. _

_I rushed to the closet and searched frantically for something to wear. I knew it just had to be at the school. I had to get there. I had to get my bracelet. I had to get my memory. _

_Two warm, loving hands grabbed mine and pulled me upright and into his embrace. "Baby, calm down, Alice is going to go search your classroom." I couldn't stop the stupid sniveling as I kept my face pressed into his chest. I had tried to be so strong through everything so far and now my resolve was cracking over a bracelet. _

_Granted it wasn't the first piece of jewelry Edward had ever given me; that would have been the ruby-red, plastic ring he got in his box of Cracker-Jacks at the fair when I was seven; but it was the first real gift he had given me that felt like he was saying he loved me. I just had to get it back. He sat down on the bed with me in his lap and just held me, rocking gently back and forth, for what seemed like an eternity. _

_About an hour had passed and I was losing the little bit of hope that I had, when I heard the pattering of feet flying down the hospital corridor. When the door finally burst open Alice was standing there with the biggest smile on her face, triumphantly holding my bracelet._

END FLASHBACK

I twisted the bracelet around and around on my wrist and I couldn't help but smile. Just like Alice had suggested, I had taken it off and put it in the coat pocket of the smock I had been wearing. She handed the bracelet to Edward and he put it around my wrist once more, right where it belonged.

*******

EPOV

Bella was finally being released from the hospital today and she was so happy to be getting out. I could tell she was aching to really stretch her legs. The few times we had been able to go out for a brief walk she would usually sit down on the grass, pull off her slippers, and just scrunch her toes in the soft green texture. She was still fighting some fatigue from the vaccination, but Carlisle had said that she should see an improvement very soon.

The morning we were to leave the hospital I swear, if I hadn't been holding her hand she would have taken off running just to be rid of this place. She was beyond antsy. "Edward, I swear if they stop us between here and the car I'm going to strangle someone." She was practically bouncing in the chair as I wheeled her towards the exit. I could almost hear her silently pleading for me to push faster because the bright sunshine was only a few feet away.

It was then I heard it; Carlisle called our names just as the double sliding doors opened up to free us from the overly white prison. At that moment I actually feared for my father's health.

We stopped and slowly turned around to face Carlisle. Bella squared her shoulders, readying herself for what she assumed would be a fight.

You could tell by the small smirk on his face that my dad knew what Bella was thinking and he wasn't about to rile her up just as she was on the verge of freedom.

"I just wanted to give you the name of that doctor we talked about." Carlisle had been pushing for both Bella and me to consider visiting a resident psychiatrist, Dr. Marcus Voltaggio. He said the stress from such a trauma could be very hard to deal with for not only the victim, but their loved ones as well.

I took the card, running my thumb over the raised black lettering. It was something to consider. Although the smile on Bella's face right now was enough to warm me from head to toe, her nightmares were hard to watch her endure.

The afternoon I returned to the hospital, after helping to process the crime scene at Victoria's, I knew I had to tell Bella what happened before it ended up in the papers, but I wasn't looking forward to it. Charlie and Emmett went with me, figuring I would need all the moral support I could get. Plus, they wanted to show a united front, hoping it would help to ease any of Bella's worries once she heard the whole story.

I confess that she didn't get the whole story. Yes, I know I promised not to keep any secrets from her, but she really didn't need to know that the message on Victoria's back was carved out by a butcher knife or that she had been sodomized so many times the blood caked on her thighs was so thick it flaked off in chunks when her body was moved. Bella only needed the basics, and even those were almost too gruesome to stand.

If I had known the horrible nightmares this knowledge was going to trigger, I never would have told her, promise be damned. Whenever she fell asleep, she dreamt of someone chasing her. At night her tossing and turning, tended to get so bad she'd wake up screaming, drenched in a cold sweat. Sometimes I allowed her to try to sleep through it, figuring if she dealt with it in her own way then she'd get past it, but once the sobbing started, that was all I could take and I'd gently nudge her awake.

How did you fight against someone's subconscious? It tore at my heart. I'd lie there, holding her, rocking her gently as her sobs soaked the front of my shirt.

Occasionally she would catch me crying with her, and the next time she'd wake she'd slip off to the bathroom to try to hide it from me, but I never let her get away with it. Her pain was my pain. I had to make sure she understood that we were in this together.

As she stood from the wheelchair I wrapped my arm around her, snuggling her close to me. I only caught the tail end of the conversation as I was pulled from my thoughts. "I appreciate everything you've done for me Carlisle. Without you I'm not sure I could have gotten through this," she said softly. She gave Carlisle a long hug before stepping away.

*******

Today was the big day and I wanted everything to be perfect. Everything at the house, was finished and I just couldn't wait any longer to show it to Bella. I knew that with all of the suspicious behavior lately, the secret would be out soon if I didn't hurry up. The smile that was permanently etched on my mothers face was enough to make her suspicious that something was up. Someone was bound to crack soon just from trying so hard to keep the secret.

In the end, I had to tell Rose and Alice. I love my sisters but when they heard the news the high pitched squeal they both released was enough to call every dog to attention within a fifty-mile radius.

They were both going to be occupying Bella's time this afternoon, as well as helping me to finalize some last-minute details for our special night.

I dropped off Bella at Charlie's, where the girls were anxiously waiting to steal her away for shopping, particularly Victoria's Secret, and a light lunch. I told the girls she would need a new outfit tonight, something special. I wanted everything to be perfect.

Around five o'clock I pulled up to Charlie's to pick up Bella. Alice would be slipping away once we left to finish a few final touches for me. I was nervous because not only was I going to reveal the house to Bella, but I also had something very important I wanted to ask her.

I straightened out my suit as I walked up to Charlie's front porch. God this brought back memories. How many times did I take this very same path to his front door, practically sweating bullets, as I came to pick up Bella? Charlie has always treated me like a son but I still did my best to show him the respect and seriousness he deserved.

I rang the doorbell instead of just walking in. Alice appeared at the door just as the chime was ending its last note, squealing in delight when she saw me.

"Oh my god, Edward you look great. See, I told you Armani was the way to go." Alice gave me another huge grin as she reached up to straighten my tie. Just as she finished, I heard a door upstairs shut softly, drawing my attention to the stairs.

Bella has always loved vintage clothes. The dress she came down in would have put even Audrey Hepburn to shame. It was sleeveless but completely covered her back, a fact I didn't miss. Bella still was not comfortable with people seeing her tattoo. The dress fell just below her knees and if you listened closely you could hear the slight swishing sound of her slip underneath her skirt. The gold fabric held a subtle flowering pattern, and the neckline dipped just low enough that you could see the diamond solitaire that hung delicately around her neck. She had pinned the sides of her hair up in matching gold clips so that it cascaded down to her shoulders in soft curls. She was stunning.

I reached up and took her hand as she reached the last step, leaning in and giving her a kiss. The subtle hint of apple blossom perfume left me breathless.

I probably would have remained there ogling her if Alice and Rose hadn't decided to remind me they were still standing there. "If you two don't leave you'll never have time to come back," Alice said as she and Rose ushered us both out the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Rose added. Both Bella and I did a slow turn to face Rose. "Okay so that doesn't leave you with a lot of uncharted territory, so sue me." She just shrugged before turning away.

After helping Bella into the car I walked around to the driver's side quick enough to catch both Rose and Alice before they got into their cars. I clasped my hands in a sign of prayer and mouthed a "thank you and "I love you" to them.

*********

The restaurant was beautiful and we had an amazing dinner together. La Bella Italia lived up to it's name with beautiful, Italian elegance. The place was designed for romance. Music played softly in the background and twinkle lights were strategically placed throughout the restaurant to give off a soft glow at every table.

Bella and I both chose our favorite dishes from the menu, moaning softly in delight as each bite melted into our mouths. We even indulged in a decadent slice of chocolate chip cheesecake afterwards to top it all off. So far, tonight was going just as I had planned, but this had been the easy part. As we left the restaurant, walking towards the car, I tried hard to calm my nerves. My iPod filled the car with soft music as we slowly made our way back to Forks. I had specifically picked out each song on my play-list for a reason. I could see out of the corner of my eye as Bella recognized each song.

There was the Michael Bublé version of "The Way You Look Tonight" that was our first dance at our senior prom. Or "At the Hop", the song we danced to for three straight weeks trying to learn the right moves for the oldies contest we entered - and won. We were called Danny and Sandy for weeks afterwards.

Then there was our song, "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins. The first time I sang this to Bella was the night she came home from the hospital after having broken her femur. Charlie got called in for an emergency at the station so he brought Bella by to stay with us.

She was still in a lot of pain even with the pain meds. So after we spent the majority of the night gorging ourselves on Chocolate-chip cookie dough ice cream and a movie marathon of Julia Roberts movies, Bella still had a hard time falling asleep. So I sang the only song I could think of off of the top of my head to her. Before I even got half-way through, I could hear her quiet sniffles as she drifted off.

So from that point forward whenever one of us needed comforting by the other, when we couldn't find the right words to say, we just sang that song.

We were getting close to town and I had to put the last half of my plan into motion before we went any further. I pulled over to the side of the road, shut down the engine and turned towards a very perplexed-looking Bella.

"Bella I planned this night with a lot of detail because I've got a lot of things I need to say that are pretty important. If you'll humor me and just trust me, I promise it will be worth it in the end."

She reached up and gently stroked my cheek and I swear my face warmed at her touch. "Of course I trust you, wherever you go I'll follow." I nuzzled my face into the palm of her hand drinking in her delicious scent before pulling myself back into the moment. I opened the center console, brought out a blindfold, and handed it to Bella. She leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips as she grabbed the blindfold. Then she slipped it over her head and covered her eyes.

"Lead the way my love." And with those words of love and trust I began our trip down memory lane.

*********

I pulled her gently along the worn path, through the gate and towards the swings. I was seriously reconsidering the whole blindfold part of the night because of all the stumbling she was doing. Bella has never been the most coordinated on her feet when she could see, so this might turn out to be a bad idea. But so far, she was still giggling, so as long as she was willing to play along we would keep going.

Gently I set her down in the swing and wrapped her fingers around the chains before sitting down on the swing next to her and reaching over to take off her blindfold. It took a few moments for her to recognize where we were.

"Edward, what are we doing back at the school house?" She twirled slowly in the swing as she let her legs dangle.

"Well Love, I wanted to remind you of some of the most important moments in my life. So consider this a short trip down memory lane."

I could tell that Bella was trying hard to hide her smile at my cheesiness. "I figured what better place to start than where I met an angel who would change my life forever."

Bella leaned into the chain of the swing, pressing her cheek against it, staring at me intently. "You mean the day I nearly maimed you?" Her giggles broke through as she tossed her head back, pushing off and swinging higher.

I started to sway in my seat as she continued to float by me, her hair fluttering in waves behind her. "You didn't maim me. We were both innocent by-standers really. It was your knuckle-head brother who caused it all."

FLASHBACK

_It was the first day of school, after summer break, and I had met Emmett at the beginning of the day when Jasper and I had gotten off the bus together. My mom and dad had officially adopted Jasper and his twin sister Rose over the summer. It was nice to have another boy in the family and to be honest, I was grateful for another girl because that got me out of having to be Alice's Ken doll. I swear if I had to endure another round of playing dress-up I was going to scream. _

_As we walked behind the schoolhouse towards the playground I heard the unmistakable squeak of a swing. I looked over and saw the prettiest girl I'd ever seen murdering her poor bottom lip as she bit down on it in deep concentration. _

"_Hey guys who's that?" I asked pointing towards the little girl. "Oh that's my little sister Bella," Emmett offered before chucking the football at Jasper. I couldn't help it, I felt drawn to her. _

"_I'm going to go say hi, I'll be back." I didn't even wait for a response. Each step I took toward her my heart beat just a little bit faster. She was so pretty. She had on dark blue Keds with little white bobby socks, a green t-shirt and shorts. Her long hair was pulled back on the sides to keep it out of her face. _

_She looked up at me once she realized I was walking over. I couldn't help the goofy grin that spread across my face. I stopped just in front of her and I suddenly realized that my mouth felt like the Sahara desert. _

Come on, Edward speak. She's going to think you are a dork if you don't.

"_Hi." My voice came out squeaky and high because I was so nervous, so I pushed my glasses up my nose and tried again. "Um, hi. I'm Edward. You're Bella, Emmett's sister, right?" She just nodded as her curls bounced._

_I was so distracted watching as she bit her lip that what I said next surprised even me. _

"_Did you need a push?" I was so glad that my brain and my mouth weren't working together at that moment because she gave me a huge smile and my heart melted. _

"_Would you really push me?" Her eyes sparkled as she spoke like that was the greatest offer she'd ever had, her blush deepening as she continued. "I wouldn't ask but my legs aren't long enough." I looked down and saw that even if she stretched she could barely scrape the tips of her toes on the ground beneath her. _

_I grabbed the chains and told her to hold on tight. Bringing her back a few feet I let her go and she squealed in delight. Her hair brushed over my hands as I let her go and I couldn't help remember it felt so soft. I wanted to touch it again. Push after push she got higher and higher, push after push I could feel my heart flying. I was making Bella happy and that made me happy. _

"_Higher Edward, higher!" she exclaimed and even though she was pretty high already, I pushed more. _

_Like all good things, even this had to come to an end. She was coming back towards me when I heard my name being called. I saw a football heading straight for my head. I dodged it but didn't realize that by doing so I had stepped too far into the path of the oncoming swing. And before I could process what had happened, I was flattened on the ground. _

_I was stunned, dazed, but it didn't feel like I was hurt. My head was just a little foggy. I sat up and I could hear Bella frantically calling my name. I turned to look at the swing but everything was blurry so I couldn't clearly make out where she had gone. In the distance I could see two blurry figures racing towards me and I could hear Bella crying. _

"_Edward, oh my god, I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you? Are you hurt? I'm such a klutz, I'm so sorry. Oh my god, I can't believe I did that." Her crying was making it hard to understand her but I could tell she was freaking out. _

_After readjusting my glasses back on my face I reached over and grabbed her hand. "Bella it's ok. I'm not hurt. Are you?" She just shook her head, never meeting my eyes, just looking down at our hands that were clutching to one another. "Then why are you crying?" She didn't answer. "Bella please stop crying," I pleaded as I began to cry with her. "I'm ok. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm not hurt and I'm not mad."_

"_Then why are you crying?" She wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt as she spoke. "Because _you're_ crying," I tried to laugh to lighten the mood. She lunged forward and wrapped her little arms around my neck and hugged me as she whispered, "I'm sorry Edward. I'll stop crying now if you're really all right." _

_Just then Emmett and Jasper appeared before me, both laughing their butts off. "Edward dude, you're supposed to catch the ball, not dodge it." As Bella snuggled next to me, she was all I could think about at that moment. "Emmett, dude" I said as I gave my best impression of him, "you're supposed to call my name BEFORE you throw the ball, you big dummy." _

END FLASHBACK

Bella's laughing brought me back to attention. "Emmett wouldn't let me live that one down. To this day he warns everyone around me when I get on a swing-set."

"Well that little event sealed us together. You wouldn't leave my side, constantly trying to make it up to me. I just enjoyed the time I got to spend with you."

Bella came to a rest beside me and I gently kissed her lips. "And I'll never regret that day for as long as I live."

*******

I pulled Bella gently along by the hand, guiding her to our next destination. Surely she would understand the significance of this place without me having to remind her. As she tentatively sat down, allowing her fingertips to run over the cold metal beneath her, I held my breath waiting for her reaction.

After I lifted her blindfold, she blinked a few times. "Edward, why are we sitting on the bleachers?" She smiled, playing along with my memory game. .

"We're sitting on the bleachers, my love, because I wanted to remind you of a ball game you once attended."

I didn't miss the smirk at my comment and I knew exactly why. "Edward, you played baseball for four years in high school, rec. ball every summer since you were ten, and elementary ball. You're going to have to narrow it down a little."

Bella was my most faithful fan. Even when my parents couldn't make a game, she was always there. Even if that meant she had to bum a ride from Karen Newton, Mike's mom, who usually spent the entire ride coyly touting her son's praises.

"Senior year, regional championships, does that ring a bell now?" Even at night I could still see the twinkle in Bella's eyes as she began to understand.

FLASHBACK

_It was the bottom of the ninth and we had two guys on base with two outs. I would be the last up to bat one-way or the other. We were down by two and my run would win it all. I was beyond nervous. My mouth was dry, I had already bitten off every nail I had, and my palms were sweating. I know that one person can't win or lose a game all on his own, but at this point it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. _

_I twisted my hands nervously around the handle of my bat as I stood on deck. The umpire called me over and it felt like I was walking to my doom. When I get too nervous about things I tend to mess up no matter how hard I try to do it right. I could feel myself stressing out. I couldn't let my team down, my school down, or my Bella down. _

_I looked in the stands, knowing she'd be there. My parents were sitting right beside her__looking terribly nervous, holding one another's hands. They knew what I was about to do; either become the town hero, or blow it. _

_My eyes found Bella's as she stared intently at me. Alice was talking softly to her from her side but she never looked away. I stepped up to the box and adjusted my jersey higher on my shoulders to give me extra room. I ground my toe into the ground for extra traction. I tried hard to lick my lips but my mouth was bone dry. Then before I knew it the first ball whizzed past my head. _

"_STRIKE ONE!" The umpire's call scared the shit out of me and actually made me jump. I backed out of the box, trying to take a deep breath to calm my nerves when out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella stand up. _

_I knew she would never leave at a moment like this, so I just waited to see what she was going to do, when out of no where I heard her yell. _

"_MAKE A TOUCHDOWN EDWARD!" _

_The entire crowd got quiet, all turning to look at Bella waving her hands in the air with the biggest grin on her face. I burst out laughing. Just like that all of my nerves were gone. The umpire even asked me if I knew the girl and if she was serious. I just shook my head, stepped up to the box, set myself again, and before taking my first crack at the ball I explained with a huge grin on my face, "That's my girlfriend." _

_END FLASHBACK_

Bella and I were both laughing so hard now. "Well you looked so serious when you stepped up to the plate. I knew that if something didn't break the tension you'd stress yourself out and you'd never forgive yourself if you didn't do your best."

"We never would have won that day if you hadn't done that. I'm certain of it. It was right then and there I knew I was going to marry you. I know how much you hate to be the center of attention and even though it caused every eye to look at you, you did it anyway. You've always given so unselfishly of yourself."

_*******_

Our last destination required us to get back in the car. I had Bella wear the blindfold the entire time. After punching in the key code to open the gates, I parked the car in front of the house. I helped her out and led her around to the front of the car.

"Okay Bella, now I'm going to take the blindfold off, but keep your eyes closed until I say 'when,' okay?" My hands were shaking a bit as I removed the blindfold.

_What's the worst thing that can happen, Cullen? _

_She can say no!_

I tried hard to push back that moment of doubt. Bella had to say yes. We love each other; we are meant for each other.

"Bella, I didn't bring up all of those wonderful memories just for a stroll down memory lane." I turned her slightly so that she was facing the front of the house, and took her hands in mine.

I placed my hands on her face and tilted it so she was looking down at me as I got down on one knee. Then I took her hands again and kissed the insides of each of her palms before continuing.

"Bella you are my past, my present and hopefully my future as well. I want all of my special memories to come to have you in them. Please say you'll do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Her lips fell open slightly in surprise, but no answer had escaped her yet. I was beginning to worry that perhaps my doubts from earlier would prove to be correct. Did she not want to marry me?

Then I watched her bottom lip tremble and tears slipped through her still-closed eyes.

"You didn't say I could open my eyes yet, Edward," she sniffled. I didn't get up from my position because it was very important that she see what was behind me.

"Open them, my angel, and tell me your answer, please." As she opened her eyes I could see every ounce of love for me reflecting back in them. I knew my answer right then and there, but I so wanted to hear it. "Say it Bella," I whispered to her, tears beginning to form in my own eyes, "Say it out loud, for me, Baby."

"Yes. Yes, a million times yes. Edward I love you!" I could feel by the gentle tug of her hands on mine that she wanted me to stand but couldn't understand why I hadn't yet. I just smiled through my tears as I gazed at her. "Edward, stand up I'd kinda like to kiss you now," she said softly laughing as her tears kept falling.

"Bella...although I couldn't be happier than at this very moment, do you know where you are?"

At that she looked around, her eyes growing even larger with each second. I released one of her hands as she covered her mouth in shock.

"We're at the Masen house."

"No, Bella. We are at the Cullen house." That's when she saw it. I had asked Alice to attach Bella's engagement ring to a long red ribbon that was tacked to the rafter of _our_ front porch, hanging down for her to see.

She walked with careful steps towards the small dangling object. It glittered in the moonlight as it twisted slowly. She tentatively reached out her hand to hold it. I had made my way behind her as she walked up our front porch. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind as I explained further, "Bella, you are the woman I am going to spend the rest of my life with in this very house, making memories. You are my everything my love."

I reached out and took the ring from her hand, untying it, and turning her to face me. I slid the ring slowly onto her left ring finger.

"I love you Bella. With everything that is in me."

Her arms wrapped around me pulling me tightly to her. We kissed for what felt like hours. When we finally stopped I said, "Let me show you the house, Love." I grabbed her hand and led her through _our_ front door. With a flip of the switch all of the lights in the foyer came on, the large chandelier glowing brightly above us.

Bella didn't say a word but the look on her face said it all. She walked around quietly in awe of all of the work that had been done. Occasionally she would trail her fingertips over a banister or the painted walls like she was appreciating each item.

I took her to the second floor and showed her every room and made sure to check that they all were to her liking. When we entered the bedroom next to ours she gave a soft gasp.

_Oh shit did I get the color wrong? _

"Bella if I got the colors wrong then please tell me. It's not to late to have it fixed."

She didn't say anything. She just walked to me and before I could say anything more she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me with so much passion it actually made my knees weak.

"I love it, all of it," she said breathily as she ran her fingertips through my hair. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against hers, silently thanking my mother and her meticulous attention to detail.

I grabbed her hand and led her to the room she had yet to see. I pushed open the heavy oak door to our bedroom and I could tell she was amazed. Even I couldn't help but smile as I shook my head slightly sight before us.

Alice and her "romance kit." Candles were covering just about every flat surface, giving the room a very majestic feel. The bed was made with down covers and a dark burgundy comforter. There was also a canopy around the bed. Bella had said she always wanted a bed like that because it made her feel like a princess.

I noticed a note addressed to Bella. I picked it up and handed it too her. I could tell she thought it was from me.

As she read it she blushed furiously. She released my hand and headed towards our bathroom. As she was closing the door she gave me a shy smile, telling me she'd be right back.

I honestly hadn't planned for tonight to be THE NIGHT. Yes I'm a guy and I hoped it would be, but I didn't want to force it if Bella wasn't ready. Then she came out of that bathroom, making my breath catch in my throat and all the blood to rush south.

There Bella stood in a sheer white baby-doll nightie. Just peeking out from beneath the lacy bottom I could see small white panties. She had taken her hair down and the curls brushed the tops of her shoulders as she walked slowly towards me. I was happily lost in thought gazing at my angel as she said something I wasn't expecting, but wouldn't give up for anything.

"Edward, I want to make love to my fiancé tonight, in our house," just before she kissed me and wrapped her arms around me as I laid us both down onto the bed.

That night I made yet another memory. One that will always be listed in my top ten of the most wonderful memories of my life. Tonight for the first time, I made love to my sweet Bella.

*******

While the world may change at a hectic pace

We're safe and secure in Love's Embrace.

Its gentle arms will keep us warm

And carry us through the coldest storm.

And hold us close for all of time

Cherished and adored in a love sublime.

Two hearts as one in a perfect place

Wrapped forever in Love's Embrace.

(Courtesy of website.)

* * *

_A/N: So? Was it worth it? Yeah, yeah I know…where was all the graphic imagery and description with the lemon? I thought about going into more romantic detail than what I did. In the end I decided that because their relationship has always been so sweet and loving, why dirty it up with details of "peg A slipping into round hole B" type stuff. So for right now, just close your eyes and use your very vivid imaginations…and no replacing Bella with yourself. _

_If you aren't currently reading more stories on FF…might I suggest the following? And I don't make these suggestions lightly. I think they are REAL winners! _

_Taken - by sheviking (that's Possessiveward at his best and most drool worthy)_

_Such Great Heights - by SydneyAlice (careful that one is a tear jerker from the beginning)_

_This one sadly has been removed by Fanfiction due to some very hateful people. But please visit her profile and you can find her blog to link to it. It's WORTH IT!! Emancipation Proclamation - by kharizz__matik (that Italianward at his sexiest but lots of language but even his potty mouth is wonderful)_

_And last but CERTAINLY not least Near You Always - by ebalways (EMTWard makes me drool every time)_

_I've also decided to post this story to The Writer's Coffee Shop Library, just incase I ever become a target as so many of my favorite writers have become. _

_And finally….yes I know this A/N is long enough already….let me just say I'll always believe romance exists. There are men that remember the details no matter how sappy. Next up….Bella's POV, the morning after. _


	25. Chapter 25

**Twilight is the sole ownership of Stephenie Meyer. I just enjoy tinkering with Edward. **

_A/N: Judgment is all mine. Who knows maybe one day I might be able to see my name in print too. Wouldn't that be a hoot? _

_This chapter is dedicated to Irritable Grizzzly. She has some pet peeve's about when it comes to how sex scene's are described. I hope I did it justice and you enjoy it. _

_It's not a long chapter…but the faster I get this one out the sooner you all get your answers….by the time you get to the bottom you'll understand what I mean. (evil laugh)_

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BPOV

I allowed my eyes to slowly open and adjust to the small amount of sunshine coming in from the bay windows of our bedroom. _Our bedroom. _Just the thought of it made me warm all over. The ring Edward gave me last night was absolutely perfect and completely him. Instead of a traditional diamond, Edward gave me a chocolate diamond with solitaires around it. He said the moment he saw it all he could think about were my eyes and how he knew at that moment it would be the perfect ring for me. And as I stared at it now I knew he was right. I couldn't help but notice how it sparkled when it caught the sun's rays. To say I was in a state of utter bliss would be putting it mildly. Last night was a dream come true.

I am going to be Mrs. Edward Cullen. Bella Cullen. _Mrs._ Bella Cullen. Just thinking it made me want to burst with joy. I turned my head slightly and was met by the sleeping form of the love of my life. Edward and I always knew we were meant for one another, but the way he planned it out, so meticulous in detail, was so Edward. I knew that he had help, but I also knew that every detail had to pass his approval or it never would have happened. From the perfect restaurant, to my favorite lavender rose petals that were spread across the bed, I knew every detail came from Edward's romantic side, making last night absolutely perfect.

The only detail he didn't anticipate was my little changing act in the bathroom. I knew when I went to Seattle with Rose and Alice earlier in the day that I had wanted last night to be the night. I had no idea that when I had planned to make love to Edward it would be as his fiancé instead of just his girlfriend.

We had waited so long, always wanting to hold out for the perfect moment. We always knew it wouldn't happen until I moved out in respect for my dad. I never wanted him to ever have a reason to suspect Edward as being anything other than an absolute gentleman. But with everything that had gone on recently I needed this to feel grounded again. So when Edward explained that the Masen house was now OUR house, well I knew he was right as always. This was our opportunity to start more wonderful memories together.

My hand lazily stroked up and down Edward's arm and back as he lay there covering half of my body, his deep breaths caressing my skin as he continued to sleep. I couldn't help the blush that came over my face as I thought about the events of the previous night. Four times Edward sent me over the edge of pleasure. At the time I didn't give it much thought because all I wanted to do was to feel Edward inside me again. But now as I lay here underneath the weight of Edward's body, I could feel my own body begin to protest at my movements. Shifting my legs slightly I noticed exactly how stiff my upper thighs were and how much it caused my body to sting a little when I moved.

I couldn't hold in the slight giggle. I learned so much more about Edward last night. I didn't think there was anything left to know, but I was wrong. First, Edward was always a boob man. The first time he touched me, I mean purposefully touched me when we were in high school, he went straight for my breasts. He was fascinated by them. The way they moved in his hands, the way they reacted to his touch and taste, everything about them was interesting to learn. So it was no surprise to me that when I came out of the bathroom and stood before him, the first thing he did was wrap his arms around me and bury his face in the valley of my breasts and began to nuzzle.

Once he had removed my nightie, his lips latched on to my nipple, causing electricity to hum through my body. I couldn't help but allow a small moan to escape my lips as he suckled greedily. The feeling of his large hands spread against my back pressing my body into his face more set me on fire. It was like he couldn't get me close enough to him. I could feel his tongue lapping at my nipples making them even more sensitive with each nibble to the point I was begging for more.

After he lay me down on the bed, he tried to be sure to keep most of his weight from pressing down onto me. But the feeling of his body between my legs was more than I could stand. I needed more of him. He moaned softly into my mouth as he kissed me. Both of us were still wearing too many clothes, so as he slowly slid my panties down, my hands and feet tugged his pajama bottoms off. We never even gave the sheets a second thought as we lay there completely open to one another.

As I continued to run my fingers through Edward's hair as he slept, I couldn't help but think about Rose and Alice. They had to have been in on last night and the peace that Edward and I were enjoying right now would most assuredly be short-lived. I could just imagine both of them sitting there anxiously waiting by the phone till an "acceptable" hour to call and grill me. But I was too blissfully happy to deny them the details. I'd give them as much information as I could without completely embarrassing myself or Edward.

Nothing can truly prepare you for your first intimate time with the person you love. None of the romance novels I'd read had it right. All of Rose and Alice's advice, although at the time had made sense, didn't factor in at all when it came to my and Edward's first time. It was filled with passion, romance, heat and extreme awkwardness. We spent a lot of the first few minutes adjusting to one another's movements which sometimes caused us to laugh. There was no battling for dominance when his tongue slipped in my mouth. We just caressed each other with our touch, slowly dipping in and out savoring the intimate taste of one another.

_FLASHBACK _

_Even though I was on the pill we knew we still needed to use a condom__because of all the antibiotics I'd been on in the past month. So when Edward came there was no "spilling forth of his seed inside my awaiting womb as he throbbed deep inside me." In fact the first time he pressed himself into me he actually missed, which set us both into hysterics. But after he did finally ease himself into me, I realized something. _

_It HURT!_

_Edward's never measured his penis. He's not that vain. And even though I wasn't exactly the most experience sexually, I knew that he was above average. So when he slid into me, even though he tried to be gentle, it still stung. My eyes actually teared-up as the pressure increased until he was all the way inside. Believe it or not I knew the pain Edward was causing me was hurting him just as much. He whispered frantically that he was sorry over and over again as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me. The girls said you just had to allow some time for your body to grow accustomed to the intrusion. After that it would be pure bliss. This was a detail I was seriously growing to doubt until Edward slowly slid back out before sliding just as slowly back into me. The friction he was causing as he moved inside me was like scratching an itch that you just couldn't reach before. _

_I swear my eyes could have rolled back into my head at how good it was starting to feel. But I could tell that Edward wasn't going to hold out for too long our first time. I expected his thrusts to become faster and more shallow, to start "pounding into me" as everything I had read said would happen. Instead after just a few strokes he stopped moving, still inside me. I was too distracted by his kisses along my neck to realize his hand had traveled down between our bodies to touch me. The first time his fingertips touched my clit he moaned into my neck. I was so shocked by the sensation that I must have clinched around him tighter, causing his reaction. _

_Diligently, Edward continued to circle and flick my clit with his wet fingers as I felt the tightening in my stomach begin to build. My breathing was coming out in pants as Edward's fingers continued on. My body was so sensitive by now that I knew I'd be coming soon. I wanted Edward to experience his own release with me. I started to slowly move my hips more against his. It all happened so quickly but it was like little black and white explosions happened as my eyes shut during my release. I vaguely remember panting out Edward's name over and over as we came together._

_He pressed his forehead against mine gently kissing my lips panting for breath. But when he went to pull away from me I stopped him wanting just a little more time feeling him inside me. Edward stayed hard for several minutes after his release and I just continued to stroke his back as I pulled his weight down onto me. I never wanted to let this feeling end. _

_Afterwards he pulled me into his body, throwing his arm and leg over me. I was wrapped up in a warm cocoon of Edward. It didn't take long for us to fall asleep as we whispered softly how much we loved one another. _

_I surprised myself as well as Edward when at four in the morning I woke him needing to be with him again. He sleepily mumbled something along the lines of how he would love to wake up like that every morning before his moans of satisfaction started getting louder. I loved that I could do this to him, but was surprised when he wouldn't allow me to help him finish. Instead he pulled me to a sitting position at his waist where I felt the hard-on I had just left him with pressing into my backside. This was all so new to me and the thought of being on top immediately made me feel like I should cover up. But Edward wouldn't allow me to hide from his view._

"_You are far too beautiful to ever hide from me, Love." He reached over to the night stand for another condom. Feeling a bold streak again I took it from him before sliding back and wrapping my hand around him, stroking him a few times before slowly rolling the condom down. I watched in awe as even this little action caused his head to tilt back, his breathing to increase to pants and his eyes to roll slightly back in pleasure. I confess I was feeling quite proud of myself right then._

_Positioning myself above him I actually felt a little silly trying to work the mechanics of this out in my head. Then I felt Edward's hands grip my hips holding me steady, guiding me as I sank down taking him inside me again. This time it only stung for a moment before I found myself in pure bliss. "Shit Bella," Edward moaned, "that feels so fucking good, baby." _

_I couldn't believe that at twenty-seven years old I still had very little actual knowledge of what to do _during _sex. But here I sat, Edward buried deep inside me and completely at a loss for what to do next. I knew that I needed to have him slide in and out of me but I wasn't sure if that meant I actually needed to bounce up and down or was grinding against him enough? And I was well aware of how sitting here over analyzing the situation was making me look very foolish too. So I did the only thing I could think of and pulled Edward up to me, kissing him as I wrapped my legs around him. Just the shift in position made us both gasp in pleasure. _

_Edward continued to show me in so many different ways that morning how much he loved me. Before falling asleep again we whispered our love for one another, promising forever before allowing sleep to claim us. _

_FLASHBACK ENDED_

"Do you hurt, Love?" Edward's groggy voice quickly snapped me out of my day dream bringing me back to the gorgeous man lying next to me. His green eyes stared anxiously back at me, awaiting my answer. Is it possible to actually _see _love in someone's eyes? Running my fingers through his hair again I shifted my slightly shore body again, scooting me a little further under Edward's body.

"Nothing that a hot bath wouldn't fix," I offered as I gave him a good morning kiss. Without another word Edward tossed back the covers and strode buck naked to the bathroom, the tight muscles in his butt flexing with each step. I swear it made the small dimple's in his lower back beckon me to follow. I didn't have long to wait before he reappeared, coming to my side of the bed, playfully snatching me up into his arms.

"I even added the girly bubbles you like so much my Love."

"You are just too good to me Edward," I said before giving him another long kiss to show my appreciation. In the end I wasn't the only one who enjoyed the girly bubbles.

********

The bath was wonderful and exactly what I needed to help ease the soreness away. After we had gotten out and dried each other off Edward slipped into the other room to answer his ringing phone. Once I was done blow-drying my hair, I made sure my towel was wrapped securely around me before stepping back into our room to find some clothes. I knew Edward would have had Alice prepare for that as well.

As I shut off the light I saw Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had managed to get his jeans on sometime during his phone call. But now he was sitting there clutching his hair in his hands fretting over something. I quickly came to his side, sliding my arms around him, trying to ease his fingers from his poor head.

"Baby what's wrong?" The look he gave me made my heart stutter in its beat. He looked overwhelmed, stunned, even a little frightened. I was very worried now.

"That was Emmett." Emmett calling Edward at any time of the day or night wasn't a rare occurrence. Being partners at work and best friends, they spent as much time together as Edward and I. I guessed that it wasn't a social call due to the terrified look on his face. So I braced myself for bad news.

"Bella, you know we've been working on tracking down the real identity of the killer." I couldn't help the shiver that went down my spine at the mention of him. For just a few hours I was able to pretend as if everything was normal. "Well they've found out quite a lot about him in their digging." Edward's eyes never left mine as he continued to explain, constantly gauging my reaction. "Before coming to Washington, he hit California first, then Texas, and a few other states." I could see Edward take a deep breath to steady himself before he continued.

"All in all they think he's responsible for some one hundred and fifteen murders or missing women to date. And so far, you are the only known survivor."

I was the only flaw in his perfect record. Quickly I tried to cover my mouth before the gasp of horror escaped me, but I wasn't quick enough. Edward pulled me into a hug, wrapping me up in his warmth and trying desperately to comfort me.

He pulled back as he gently cupped my face and urged me to look at him. "No one is going to get to you Bella. I won't allow it." He gently stroked my cheeks with his thumb. "Emmett has already talked to Charlie and he's setting it up so that a deputy will be stationed outside the gates at all times. I'll call to have an alarm system added to the house today as well. The fencing is tall and impossible to climb over. Bella you are safe here." The look he gave me implored me to believe him.

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I knew I had to say something, anything, to calm his fears. "I trust you Edward, always have always will." He released the breath he had been holding as he pressed his forehead against mine, kissing me gently. I did trust Edward, with my life, but what I couldn't bear the thought of was that if this maniac did come after me, would it somehow end up costing me the love of my life?

I finally asked the all important question that had been looming unanswered over our heads since this all began. "Edward, do they know his real name yet?"

He pulled back, once again focusing on my eyes, "Yes, they know."

* * *

_AN: Ok don't kill me for leaving it there. I LOVE the cliffhangers, when I'm writing them that is, and wanted to get this filler chapter out there to you. I was such a bad, bad girl on my last chapter making you all wait so long, but I was so truly blessed with the positive responses I got._

_The over__all conclusion I got from it, you all ADORE Sweetward and wish you had one exactly like him in your lives. Well trust me I feel the same way. _

_I was a little leery about putting any detail in about their actual love__making but I finally gave in and decided some detail was necessary. I hope I didn't go too overboard with it. I wouldn't necessarily call my writing a "lemon" more like "lemon zest" as I'm not really a smutty writer. (Not putting down the smut it can be pretty good at times. I just suck at writing it.) The comments about "battling for dominance and pounding into me" were total dedication to IG._

_The answer to the question of who the killer is, I'm pretty sure, is going to come the next chapter…from HIM! A lot of you have already guessed who it is and I hope you aren't disappointed by my choice. It was equally a hard and easy choice. But I won't say more than that till you all know. I hope it will be worth the wait. _

_FINALLY!! I am wondering if you'd be interested in seeing pictures of Bella's ring, dress and their house? _

_Love you all!!_


	26. Chapter 26

**Stephenie Meyer owns twilight in full. Edward just gives me giggles cause he's so wonderful. **

_A/N: If this story is crap it's all my own fault. So forgive the errors and my mediocre choice in words, there is no real buffing up that's been done. It's all me. _

**WARNING!! DO NOT SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT THE NAME OF THE KILLER WITHOUT READING!! That's just not fair to you and it will totally ruin the experience. **

_Second, I'm truly hoping that this chapter is well worth the wait and that no one is to disappointed when you find out whom the killer really is. Until yesterday I had the person planned out completely, but I almost rewrote him last night, just to throw a kink into the works. But after some serious consideration I just had to keep him the way he is. Again, I hope you aren't disappointed. _

_This chapter is dedicated to all of my faithful readers and the new ones who I've collected along the way. I hope you enjoy my dirty little mind (TEE HEE DeeDee) and don't hate me too much along the way as it unfolds. I promise there is a purpose to everything I write…even if it doesn't seem so at the time…sometimes it just seems like me having fun torturing the characters. *EVIL LAUGH*_

_Last…this chapter will have a few graphic moments, please be sure you are ready for this before reading. _

_**It is NOT INTENDED for those who are not of a mature age**__. _

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?POV

How had things gotten so out of control? I had everything planned out so well, or so I thought. Thinking back on it now I realize the error of my ways. I underestimated. I didn't realize exactly how much ink it would take to complete Isabella's tattoo. The stencil didn't exactly explain how much detail it really had. Fucking Whitlock. It was all his fault. That and that prick Cullen's.

He actually had the nerve to believe he could keep Isabella from me. I got to her once; I could get to her again. It was just a matter of time. I could be patient, it would be worth it. She was perfect, complete innocence in every way.

I took her picture out from my wallet. My angel stared back at me, her hair fanning softly across her face. She was laughing the day I took the picture. The little annoying one they called Alice had been with her. Shopping. Isabella hated shopping. I could of taken her then while she was waiting for Alice to come out. But I decided watching her for now was enough of a high. I would get my hands on her in due time.

I wanted to go out. My little hideout was beginning to wear thin on my nerves. The walls dripped because of the river running nearby, so it was cold and damp feeling. Ever since those damn posters were put up through town I found I could hardly step two feet into Forks without worrying about being recognized. The first time being the convenience store where I stopped for some supplies.

FLASHBACK

_It had only been one day since that fucker had plastered my face all over town. He may not have had my name but he had the next best thing. I still couldn't understand exactly how he got it. Careful was practically my middle name. I had been doing this for more years than I cared to count. One dirty whore after the next passed under my hand, judged for their sins. And the very first time I stumbled across someone pure, I faltered. _

_But she would be worth it. I just had to be careful until then and I would take my angel and no one would ever hear from us again. After parking my car further down an alleyway in the shadows, I walked into the corner convenience store. Ducking back towards the freezers I started to grab a few items to sustain me, chips, drinks, the usual. I walked to the counter setting my items down, careful to keep my head down to avoid eye contact. It wasn't until I noticed the clerk's hands weren't moving to take my items from me to ring me up that I looked up. In fact he'd taken a few steps further back, putting some distance between us. I couldn't help but smirk, does he really think that a small counter would stop me if I really wanted to get to him. Looking into his eyes I blatantly stared back at him enjoying the look of fear on his face. It was then out of the corner of my eye; just to the left side of the clerk's head I saw it. Another damn poster with my mug plastered on it. _

_I didn't know how long I had. It was always possible he could have called the cops already or pressed one of those silent alarms or some shit. Even in a Podunk town like this, surely some stores had that right? But I couldn't help the need to play with him a little bit. I mean the little shit was literally shaking in his boots. So being the cocky fucker that I am I continued to toy with him for a few minutes longer. Plus this gave me the perfect opportunity to pass along a message. So I leaned forward and rested my palms flat down onto the glass countertop before continuing. _

"_It's a good likeness isn't it?" I said with a smirk to the cashier, motioning to the poster. "Now I'm sure that if you haven't already tipped off the police that I'm here, that you are going to call up Chief Swan right after I leave aren't you?" The look of terror on his face actually made me feel giddy inside. I loved being able to affect someone so strongly. _

_I reached over the counter and grabbed a bag, slowly sliding my items in while not taking my eyes off the cashier. Storeowners tended to carry some sort of firearm under the counter, especially in small towns and I had no intention of turning my head for a moment only to then come face to face with a sawed-off shotgun._

_Grabbing my bag I took one step towards the door before stopping. Reaching in my back pocket for my wallet I pulled out a ten-dollar bill and the clerk stared at me like I was mad. "Give this to Agent Cullen," I said adding another smirk and a wink. I kissed the bill before setting it face up on the counter and walking away._

_END FLASHBACK_

Cullen is an ass, but I enjoyed the little game we were playing. I knew he could do his job. Yes, I was helping him along a little, but I figured the more invested he was in finding me then the less time he would be spending with Isabella. So even though that little jaunt to the store was one of my last visits out into the open, I knew it was worth it.

It was late at night and there really wasn't much I could do. "Big Bird," the new name I'd dubbed the Chief, had set his deputies up for traffic checks, both in and out of town on the main highways and there was a constant patrol throughout town. So I didn't think I'd be lucky enough to be able to slip both out and back into town undetected, so a trip to Seattle was out of the question too. I turned to look at my workstation and couldn't help but admire my new equipment. It really was a stroke of genius how I pulled it off.

Earlier in the week I had heard that Cullen had purchased a house and was having his family take care of some renovations. That's when my mind started to churn out a plan to fuck with him a little bit more.

_I can't help that I enjoy what I do. Besides, he deserved it._

Flipping on each monitor in front of me I waited. It really was a lot easier than I had expected it to be. All I had to do was wait for the influx of trucks and deliveries to start coming through the gates. To prevent someone from constantly having to open and close them they had been left them open throughout the day so that whomever needed to come and go could do so without a lot of hassle. This gave me the perfect opportunity to carry out my plan. So one day when a delivery truck was pulling into the yard I slipped in behind them with my nap-sack full of goodies.

So call me a sick motherfucker, but I was looking forward to my little peep show. The little one, Alice and her mom were so busy instructing the arriving workers that no one saw me duck out back to the pool house. I waited patiently there till nightfall when everyone left and the house was locked back up. Then I made my move.

It really didn't take long to finish what I had planned. All I had to do was pry open the back screen door, and slip through a window that I easily broke into. They would pass it up, as just one more needed repair tomorrow so I wasn't worried about that. But unfortunately after that, after I was done setting up, I had to wait. This place from the outside was like Fort Knox. I had no way out till morning when the gates opened again. The gates were made of a material that never allowed you to get a solid grip on the rods. Plus they may look decorative, but the sharp spikes in the shape of butterflies that were covering the tops of the walls looked painful if I were to slip. So I just made myself comfortable till morning, imagining all that I could do with my new little toys in place.

Now here I sit just waiting for some action. I knew they were planning on spending their first night at the house tonight. It was some big thing Cullen had planned to "present" the house to Isabella. He's such a romantic dick. I swear where does he come up with this shit? I mean it's a house for fucks sake.

It wasn't to long before the first monitor flickered to life. My placement of the camera was just right. I could see the entire foyer, hallway, part of the stairs, and some of the living room. Who has a fucking chandelier in their hallway? People who had more fucking money than they knew what to do with that's who. But this did give me the perfect place to hide my little toy to avoid detection. Looking up at it while it was on you'd never see it.

I continued to watch as Fuckward lead Isabella room to room showing her all around. I confess the little gasps of pleasure she was giving were going straight to my cock. It wouldn't be long before she would be doing far more than gasping in pleasure when we were together, more like screaming, begging, moaning. Shaking myself from my little daydream I watched as each monitor flickered to life. Next came the kitchen, then the living room, then the master bath and bedroom. I actually out-did myself on that one. There were three cameras in the master bedroom. All with totally different angles to see my angel as she slept.

As they entered the bedroom I watched as Isabella excused herself. The monitor for the bathroom came on and I watched as she undressed. Pealing each item of clothing from her delicate body. When I saw her back and my masterpiece fluttering under her movements my hand drifted down my rock hard cock. She was beautiful, such grace, so much innocence. I watched as she opened the box sitting on the countertop and pulled out a short nightie. It danced down her delicate frame as she slipped it on, covering the delicate peaks of her breasts that I longed to bite down on.

I watched as she exited, walking slowly towards Cullen who had changed into pajama pants. The needy bastard pulled her to him smelling her skin as he put his fucking head between her breasts. And then I heard it. Moaning. It was soft at first, but it was getting louder with each passing second. I watched as his lips found her hardened nipple through the white fabric. As she pulled his head harder down against her chest, his hands splayed across her back keeping her body pressed firmly against him. His hands found the ties at the top of her gown. His long fingers slid the straps down her shoulders causing the material to flutter to the floor at a pool around her bare feet.

Their names were being chanted back and forth, over and over again between them as the moans of desire continued. I must be masochistic, because I continued to watch as his fingers gripped her delicate silk covered hips pulling her onto the bed beneath him.

As I continued to watch I could feel my blood begin to boil inside my veins. My nails were digging into my palms. The fucker was going to spoil my innocent angel. He was going to take what was rightfully mine. It felt like I was having an out of body experience. I could see myself jump from my seat and start pacing around the room, constantly glancing back at the monitor. But it was like I couldn't really control what my body was doing.

I lay my head against the coolness of the wall, this couldn't be happening. I continued to listen to Isabella's sweet voice encourage his movements. It felt like my chest would explode, the disappointment, hurt and anger was so overwhelming. Clamping my eyes shut, I silently willed them to stop before it was to late, stop before she was spoiled and dirty like all of the other whores in this town. But they weren't stopping.

She had done so well, why did she have to go and spoil it now? She was supposed to wait until after marriage. I thought she was going to be a proper young woman. Sitting down on the cold stone floor I began to rock back and forth as the thoughts kept slamming around in my head. She betrayed me, worse yet she fooled me. She was just like every other woman I'd ever met. Somehow she had blinded me into believing that she was different. How could I have been such a fool?

_Slut. Dirty bitch. Whore._

I knew the exact moment her innocence was lost. That fucker started whispering to her how sorry he was that she was in pain. Pain? She hasn't felt pain till I get my hands on her.

I was raging inside with no outlet to release it on. My eyes were wild, scanning my room for something, anything to destroy just so I wouldn't explode. That's when I saw it, the stencil of Isabella's tattoo. Ripping it from the wall my first urge was to ball it up, rip it to shreds and stomp it into the ground. I had given her my best, most complicated work and she had completely ruined it.

But I didn't tear it up. I could feel my rage easing off into calm, clear understanding. I knew what I had to do now. I'd have to re-judge Isabella as the dirty whore that she is. Then just like all of the other pieces of garbage that I came across I'd make sure she understood how far from perfection she fell.

Slipping my hand into my jeans I pulled out the pocketknife I always carried with me. I knew what Isabella's judgment would be. Dragging the knife along the palm of my hand all I could feel was the satisfaction of my decision, not the pain. Using the blood that was pooling in my hand, I traced the bottoms of the feathers of each wing. Because of her disgrace at allowing that pig to defile her perfect body, she would now be my fallen angel. She would still be my greatest masterpiece ever.

My neck was killing me from the odd position I was in. I had fallen asleep not long after they did. Both of them were snoozing in post-coital bliss. Part of me felt numb from the constant reminder that Isabella was no longer my vision of perfection. The other part of me was just dying to get my hands on her again and finish what I had started.

The monitors were still on in the bedroom. They would stay on until the room was vacated, so all I could really do was sit and watch my fallen angel sleep. Switching angles I zoomed in as close as I could to her face. If you didn't know she was a dirty whore, looking at her would have easily fooled you. From the way her soft pink lips pouted as she slept, to the way her eyelashes fluttered softly against her skin as she dreamt. It was all so beautiful to watch and yet behind the Botticelli face was the same filthy mess that all women were. All except…

_Elizabeth._

I shook my head to clear her image from it. No I wouldn't bring her into this, I wouldn't allow her memory to become defiled by this bitch.

A slight rustling of the sheets brought me back out of my memories. What I saw next only further solidified my beliefs. I watched as _she _slithered down his body as he continued to sleep. Her perfect pink lips wrapped around him teasing him with each stroke, with each taste, causing him to moan out in pleasure. Eventually he pulled her on top of him, as he got closer to coming. I don't know why he didn't just fill that dirty mouth, that's what she wanted, what someone like _her _was waiting for.

I couldn't watch this again. I couldn't watch as she defiled herself over and over again with that fucker. So I closed my eyes as she pulled him inside of her tight little body. Her gasps of pleasure still filled my ears. In my mind it was no longer that him writhing beneath her tight little body.

Reaching down I grabbed my hardening cock in my hands and began to stroke. She was fucking me. It felt so real. I could practically see her porcelain skin under my hands as I gripped her hips. The rosy peaks of her pert breasts bouncing as she rides me begging me to bite and suck on them. Looking down I could see my cock disappear inside her tight cunt with each forceful thrust. Each time I pounded inside her she would beg for more, harder, faster, deeper and I would give it to her. I'd fuck her till it hurt and she was begging me to stop. I'd eat that pussy out till her skin was raw from my tongue. I'd bite those nipples till she was scratching and clawing to get my mouth off of her.

The tightening in my stomach was almost too much to contain as I continued stroking. The sounds from their bedroom still filtering through to my barely functioning brain. Just before I came it wasn't Edward's name I heard coming from her mouth, it was mine. Finally she was chanting my name over and over again. It was the sweetest fucking think I had ever heard…

_Oh, god. Yes right there. Fuck me harder, oh god yes! _

_JAMES! JAMES! JAMES!_

* * *

_A/N: Ok so who did I surprise with that one and who knew it from the beginning? Like I said to some it was very predictable. I mean he's the ultimate bad guy right? And whom else could you really see being this sadistic? _

_I really hope, that now you know, it wasn't a let down? Let me know what you think._

_Thank you so much to my faithful readers and reviewers. Your words of encouragement have kept me going strong even when I felt like I should give up. Don't forget to go out and support Rob this weekend as his new movie "Remember Me" hits theaters. I'm sure he will do a wonderful job. _


	27. Chapter 27: And So It Begins

**Twilight belongs completely to Stephenie Meyer. No infringement on her rights or that of Little, Brown publishing was intended in the making of this story. **

_A/N: This story however belongs entirely to me and my disturbed little mind LOL. I'm very sorry that it's taken so long to get this one out. It's a longer chapter so I hope that will make up for the wait, and I deeply hope I've not lost any readers because of my lack of updating often. Things have gotten kinda bad at home. The economy in a small town is hard to take, and my hours at work have been reduced down to pretty much nothing. You'd think this would give me tons of time to write when in fact I'm busier than ever trying to find work. _

_But please be patient with me, keep me in your prayers and please keep reading. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. _

_Remember I have no beta so please forgive the errors._

* * *

BPOV

Five glorious days had passed since we first moved into our new home. Even though Edward was in the middle of a case, his workload was still light enough that he was home every night by six for supper. It was so nice to see a pattern develop between us even after so much chaos as of late.

The alarm would go off at six-thirty every morning and Edward would spend thirty minutes pleasantly waking me up. It would range anywhere from just snuggles and kisses till I'd sleepily tell him I was up, to passionately making out till I was panting for more. On _those_ mornings we'd end up doing our best to be good, earth-friendly, humanitarians and shower together, to conserve water of course. It wasn't always the hot water that steamed up that bathroom.

I'd dry off and slip on my robe heading down to the kitchen to fix Edward his breakfast and lunch while he finished dressing. After about twenty minutes I'd hear Edward's footsteps on the stairs alerting me that he was on his way down.

In the mornings, when it came to breakfast, Edward was like a bloodhound. Before entering the kitchen he could tell you what we were having before he even saw the plate. He'd lick his lips as I sat his first, of many, hot cups of coffee before him. I loved playing the dutiful wife fixing breakfast for her man, so I had no qualms about waiting on Edward. Besides, since school was out I didn't have work to head off to like he did, so it was nice to be able to take care of him without having to feel rushed for a while.

After setting Edward's juice on the table I turned to the fridge to get the strawberry jam for his toast when I froze. There, staring back at me, was a calendar gracefully hanging from a magnet on my state of the art refrigerator. And circled on the bottom of the calendar in big, bold, red marker was June 20th, two days ago.

"Damn it!" Yes, I cursed and not under my breath like I normally would have.

"What's the matter baby?" Edward's arms wrapped around me from behind as he came to investigate what had upset me.

"Your birthday," I said with a sigh of disgust at my lack of attention. "We completely missed it."

"Baby, you and I both had a lot on our plates this past month. It's ok really. We'll just do something extra big for you birthday this year. How about that?" I could hear the smirk in his voice without having to look at him. Edward was well aware that I hated celebrating my birthday, so I knew he was expecting the slap to the arm he got at my dislike to his dismissive attitude. I turned around in his arms before arguing my point.

"No it's not ok. This is your birthday Edward. The day you were born. The day Carlisle and Esme Cullen welcomed a handsome, green-eyed, bronze-haired baby boy into the world, that would later become the love of my life." I said very seriously before throwing in my signature pout, "Trust me, it's a very big deal."

Laughing at my antics, he softly kissed my lips before offering up a solution.

"Well, we've just moved into a new home and Alice and Rose have been begging to throw us a house warming party. Plus there is the fourth of July coming up, so why don't we just combine everything together for one big bash?"

I had to give my sexy fiancé credit, his idea had great potential. The chance to straighten out this horrible oversight and to get the house-warming over with too was a great idea. And of course Edward was right the fourth of July was a great day to have it too. Every year we celebrated it at the Cullen's since they had such a massive back yard for fireworks. But this year I had the best of both worlds. We had a huge pool for everyone to relax around and we lived close enough to the water that we could see the fireworks that the town put on. The more I thought about it the more I was certain this was the perfect solution.

Grabbing the jam and handing it to Edward, I steered him back to his seat as I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and took my own seat. I was so going to need the girls help on this to make sure I didn't miss one single detail.

As Edward inhaled his breakfast, I frantically wrote down all of the names he listed off of our friends and loved ones we wanted to invite. I had quite a lot to get done with not a lot of time to waste. The buzzer for the front gate went off just as Edward was reaching for his blazer signaling that Esme had arrived.

Since receiving the details of the killer who we now knew as James Thomas Reynolds, Edward made it a point that if he ever had to leave the house and I stayed behind, that I was never alone. I couldn't blame him really for being overly cautious. It actually felt good to have someone around me right now as I still felt a little jumpy being alone. Plus there was tons of work that still needed to be done on the house and Esme was all to happy to give me a hand picking things out.

Edward had called that first afternoon we were in the house to have a security system installed, and I could see from my front window the patrolman sitting just outside the gates. He also made sure that there was a unloaded gun in the lockbox of our bedroom closet and the bullets were close-by if I should ever need it. Being the daughter, sister and girlfriend to cops gave me some definite advantages. They all made sure and were very proud of the fact, that I was a crack shot. Next to my dad, I had one of the highest target scores at the range. I could definitely handle myself if the need arose.

But no matter what Edward still hated to leave me alone, even if it was with his mother. So it was our goodbye kiss that Esme walked in on as she entered the front door. I could tell by the tapping of her shoe on my hardwood floors that our goodbye was taking up valuable time. However Edward was oblivious to this little reminder, only breaking away from our kiss after she practically threw him out the front door. I couldn't help but giggle at the dejected look on Edward's face at having been so rudely interrupted.

I waved goodbye to him, watching his car pull out through the gates as they closed behind him, before I turned to greet Esme. She just looked at me with the biggest smile on her face. Since announcing our engagement to our families, Esme especially had been terribly emotional lately. Constantly you'd catch her grinning ear to ear with tears in her eyes at how happy she was for us. She'd just wave it off as she'd walk away saying something along the lines of "meant to be" and "perfect for one another".

We spent the rest of the morning going over so many color swatches for fabrics of drapes and furniture that they were starting to blend together. Rose and Alice came over around lunch time and were practically busting at the seams when I explained the idea about having the multi-purpose party. Everyone was so excited to get started on the planning, that we spent the rest of the afternoon doing just that.

I didn't even realize how late it was until I heard the front door open and Edward call out from the foyer. Leaving the girls at the dining room table, I met him at the front door just as he was kicking his shoes off. Wrapping my arms around him from behind, I kissed his back before he turned around. I've always loved how Edward smelled, like a mixture of sunshine, clean clothes and just a hint of cinnamon. I could feel the warmth of his body through his shirt as I pressed myself tighter to him.

"Well hello to you too beautiful." He said chuckling before bringing me around to face him. He ducked his head down to kiss me as I felt myself melting into his embrace. I loved saying hello to him. The moan of satisfaction escaped me before I could catch it, which only caused the inhabitants in the dining room to giggle as they watched our displays of affection.

"Did you have a good day?" I asked while wiping his bottom lip free of my lip gloss.

"It was alright, decently productive. We got in touch with just about every sheriff from the counties of the states Reynolds has been in. It took several conference calls to get everyone up to speed, and we are going to be jammed pack with incoming information for a few weeks, but we'll handle it." I ran my hands slowly up Edwards arms to his neck. I could always tell exactly how truthful Edward was about how his day went by how tense he felt under my hands. Many a night were spent working kinks out of his knotted, tense shoulders.

The FBI had found out that James had been in four other states so far, pretty much sticking to the western seaboard. "I've got to head in to Seattle in a few days as well." This really surprised me as he hadn't mentioned any upcoming trips. "Apparently Reynolds's father is being held in a maximum security prison in Seattle for several federal offenses. He was transferred there from California after they found out that he had a federal arrest warrant for weapons and drug possession. We've set up a meeting to question him to see if we can get anymore information on his sons whereabouts." Edward went on to explain that it was the FBI's hope, that if he was offered a deal for information, that he would help them find James before he had time to strike again.

I didn't like the idea of Edward being away from me even if it was only for two days. He explained that it was an early morning meeting so he thought it best if he drive up and stay at Emmett's overnight. That way he could drive home that afternoon after it was finished. It would be the first night we wouldn't have slept together in our house and it made me feel very sad. Like always Edward knew what was bothering me.

"Bella, come with me to Seattle. I don't want to spend a night away from you. We can even get a hotel room if you'd like, we don't have to stay at Emmett's. We could do some shopping for the party after I'm finished, before we head home." The look on my face must have told him I was hesitant about going because he cut me off before I could answer. "Don't say no," he whispered as he gently pressed his forehead to mine, "just think about it, okay?" I kissed him quickly before nodding my head. I would think about it. Although I loved my new house, I just couldn't shake this feeling that I was being watched. I'm sure it was just paranoia from everything that has happened recently.

I told the girls about Edward's upcoming trip and how he had invited me to go with him. The look on Alice's face told me she was coming up with a plan and I wasn't sure yet if I should be worried or not. Esme decided tonight would be a great night for a family barbeque so she called all of the guys and Charlie and told them to meet at the house in an hour.

We spent the majority of the night laughing and talking while huddled around the fire pit. The night air still carried a bit of a chill even for late June. After a few hours, Carlisle decided to call it a night explaining how he had an early morning surgery, so he and Esme said their goodbyes. Emmett apparently had one beer to many; you could always tell because he'd start laughing hysterically at his own jokes before he even told them, so between Charlie and Rose they were able to get him into the car to take him back to the house. Alice decided to stay for a little longer to help me clean up, so we left the boys outside talking while we slipped inside.

"So," Alice paused waggling her eyebrows at me waiting for my reaction.

I couldn't hide my smile, I knew exactly what she was fishing for. Ever since Edward mentioned the Seattle trip a few hours ago she had been pestering me to just say yes to him. She couldn't understand why I had to think about it.

"I can't believe you aren't jumping at the chance to spend a romantic night out with your man. If it were me and Jazz, I'd be all over him like white on rice."

I burst out laughing, "White on rice Alice…really?"

"What? I heard Emmett say it once to Jazz." She just shrugged as if that explained everything.

I grabbed the paper plates, scrunching them up so they fit better into the garbage can. "It's not that I don't want to go, Alice." I took a deep breath trying to figure out how I could best explain this to her. "It's just that everything has been so hectic lately. Part of me feels like Edward just wants me to go because he's afraid to let me out of his sight."

Walking over to me Alice took my hands in hers. "Of course he's afraid Bella. He probably won't completely relax until this guy is caught. He loves you and wants to keep you safe."

I knew the truth in her words, but my heart and my head just couldn't agree on how to feel. Edward always made me feel loved and protected. He would never allow anyone to hurt me. That was a side of him that I fell in love with more and more every day. But the other part of me wanted to protect Edward too. My heart ached when I'd see him in pain, even if it was just sore muscles from a long day of work. I had to fight hard with myself not to hide things from him. We hadn't really talked a lot about how we were feeling about things, since our first night at the house and I knew that it would have to come out sometime soon.

"But at what cost Alice?" I turned to put away the left-over food as we continued to talk. Stopping, I took a deep breath before I continued. This wasn't an area that she and I had talked about before and I wasn't sure how she would take it. "Have you not noticed how he flexes his left hand a lot lately? How he rubs the left side of his chest from time to time when he's stressed. I'm worried Alice. What if all of this is affecting his health?" I tried hard to blink away the tears that were forming in my eyes, failing miserably. So I did the best I could to wipe them away before continuing. "What would I do if something happened to him?"

"Oh sweetie," Alice said pulled me into a tight hug. "Nothing's going to happen to him. He's smart and strong and he's going to catch this asshole. And then you two are going to have a beautiful wedding and spend tons of time making lots of little Eddie's and Bella's." I burst out laughing at her silliness just as Edward and Jazz came back into the house.

I quickly wiped away my tears as Edward came to my side, pulling me into a hug. He didn't say anything, he just kissed my forehead and pulled me into his side. After Alice and Jasper left Edward locked up as I went upstairs to change for bed. That night we didn't make love, in fact what we did was to me far more intimate than making love. We talked.

We talked until two in the morning about everything. Our fears, concerns, where the case was at, where it was going, our love for one another and our dedication to each other. Afterwards I felt a huge sense of peace like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I also agreed to the Seattle trip after Edward completely explained his reasons for wanting me to go with him.

He admitted that part of the reason he wanted me to go was because he just couldn't feel comfortable about me being that far way from him. But mostly it really was that, "I finally have you as my fiancé and I just don't want to be without you."

Sleep came easily to us after that, snuggled close to one another.

EPOV

Several days had passed since Emmett's call with the grizzly details of who exactly James Reynolds was. Bella took it fairly well overall, but it was still unsettling for her to realize that she is his only reported survivor.

The night after the barbeque she explained to me how isolated and alone that made her feel, like she had a target painted on her back. I held her as she cried, wishing I could take away her fears. But I knew the only way that would happen would be to finally catch this guy.

We were heading to Seattle later tonight so Emmett and I could prepare for the interview we had tomorrow with James' father, Caius. Profiling was more Emmett's strong point than mine, so I hoped that this meeting would allow us more insight into how James' mind worked. The more we understood about him, the better our chances would be at anticipating his next move and possible causing him to slip up.

As I walked down our drive towards the mail box, I couldn't stop thinking about the details of the case. There were so many listed as suspected victims of this man. Individually they looked just like random acts of extreme violence against women. But put together they became a large puzzle of rage. The man that did this held a deep-seated hatred towards women and what they stood for.

To think that my precious Bella was even in this monsters presence, made my blood run cold. It didn't even dawn on me that I was rubbing the left side of my chest and shoulder until I reached the single entry gate to unlock it. That feeling had been happening more and more lately, a tightness in my chest that sometimes even made it hard to take a deep breath. Bella noticed me doing this more and more and brought it up that night as we talked.

Bella was just like her brother when it came to something she felt strongly about. It became like a dog with a bone, she wasn't going to let the topic just drop. She made me promise that I would go see Carlisle and have it checked out. I promised her I would as soon as I was able too. Things were just to crazy right now with all of the new developments in the case.

Plus, I got word that the director was seriously considering having me removed if things got more personalized. Bella being the victim was hitting a lot closer to home than he was really comfortable with. Me being the lead agent on the case didn't help. He was afraid that the closer we got to catching James the more he might target one or both of us. But since I was on the case before Bella was attacked, as long as things didn't escalate more, then he was fine for now with me staying on. The only draw back was that I had to stay in constant contact with him, detailing what was being done to catch James.

It wasn't unusual for him to text, email or phone me at any time of the day or night to get an update. He was even considering mandating a weekly trip to Seattle for a face to face sit down to keep him abreast of the situation. I hadn't mentioned this to Bella because truthfully I was hoping this would blow over and I had no idea how to approach her with it.

She knew right away that a large part of the reason I asked her to join me in Seattle was because I was terrified to leave her alone. Even when I was away just tracking down leads in town, I needed to know she was being looked after. To some I might seem to be taking things a little overboard, but I wasn't willing to take that risk. Bella was just to precious to me, she was my life now.

Pulling the morning paper from the box the front page headlines immediately caught my attention. Ever since the picture and name of James had been released, the media had been raking both the FBI and the Forks P.D. over the coals. Today's story unfortunately no different.

_Washington State Terrorized by Slayings_

_It's been less then a decade since the state of Washington was the hunting grounds for the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was convicted of the murders of 48 women. _

_And now our state must accept that it may possibly be harboring an even more horrifying monster at this very moment. _

_The police are calling the recent rash of homicides and disappearances the work of a serial killer. "It's hard to stomach the fact that so much carnage and death is the work of one man," said lead investigator Edward Cullen of the FBI. "But we are working diligently with the Forks, and Seattle Police Department, along with several other states to stop this man. We will bring him to justice and end his reign of terror on our state." _

_This killer is suspected to be responsible for four murders so far all located in the town of Forks, as well as an assault on another young woman who survived the attack. Her name is being withheld by the police for now until the suspect is caught. It is also believed that the FBI is looking into his possible involvement in over one hundred and fifteen other cases of missing and murdered women spanning four other states. In comparison, Ridgway's 48-count murder spree was scattered over a 21-year period. If these deaths can be linked to this one man, then this is the most violent rampage of serial murder in American history. _

_From Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy, the targets of serial killings are usually connected by similarities in age, gender, race or a combination of the three. The victims so far have held a pattern of women in their mid to late twenties, dark, long hair, all having a petite frame, none over 5'9. The attacks would happen every other month. One month for the killer to stalk his victims and the second to find them, torture and kill them. _

_The victims would be reported by family or friends on a Friday night and be found by the following Monday morning. On each victim the killer tattoo's their "judgment" onto their bodies. Marking them as he saw fit, determining what they were guilty of in their life before viciously raping and mutilating their bodies before dumping them into a road-side ditch. _

_All of this remaining true until the latest victim Victoria Roberts was found. Nothing about Ms. Roberts fit's the profile of the killers intended target so the police were left baffled by her death. The police seem to be pulling out all stops to catch this maniac before his next victim is taken. But we won't actually know exactly how much progress they have made or how safe we are until after August passes. If the killer stays true to his pattern that is when the next attack is set to occur. _

_Personally I'll be happy to see September come. _

(parts of the previous italicized section were borrowed directly from "Eclipse" which is owned in it's entirety by Mrs. Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown publishing. No infringement in their ownership or publishing rights was intended by.)

I balled the paper up, wishing I could set it on fire instead. We were working non-stop around the clock on this case, both here and in Seattle. What more could they really ask of us? We couldn't _make _him give himself up. And releasing so many details to the public could easily lull them into a sense of comfort to the point that the killer might be encouraged to break his patterns. Where was the responsibility in journalism? I was so engrossed in my thoughts about the article that I didn't hear the person coming up behind me until he was right on top of me.

"Well hullo there new neighborrr." Before me stood a man that rivaled even Emmett in size. Six-foot four easily, probably around 250 pounds of pure muscle, jet black hair, pale skin, and big blue eyes. If he didn't have a huge smile plastered to his face I might have actually tried to make a run for it back to the safety behind our gates.

His thick accent threw me. I was normally very good with identifying dialects and their regions, but his had me a little stumped. My best guess was Russian mixed in with years of English studies. It was comical how much like Count Dracula he sounded when he spoke, that he had me instantly smiling back as I shook his outstretched hand. "I wantedd to introoduce myself, my name is Demetri Yevnaykoff." He turned and motioned across the street to the large brick two story before continuing. "My wife, Irina and I we leavee across the street."

"I'm Edward Cullen, it's good to meet you." I could tell from the way he shook my hand that he was sizing me up. Although he was much larger than me in stature his demeanor immediately put me at ease. I could hear Bella's faint footsteps on the driveway as she edged closer and closer to the gate. There was no reason to rush her however, she'd call out to me when she felt comfortable enough with the situation to make her presence known. I didn't have long to wait before in a small voice she called my name. Turning slightly towards her, I motioned for her to join me. Bella seemed to have turned even more shy since the attack when it came to meeting new people. It wasn't something she was going to shake off overnight, so we all knew to just be patient with her and allow her to go at her own pace.

After introducing Bella to Demetri - him smoothly kissing her hand instead of the firm handshake I received - we talked for a while longer just getting to know each other better. It wasn't long before Irina joined us carrying a sleeping little boy named Aro on her hip. You could definitely tell which parent he got his looks from being the spitting image of Demetri.

Bella quickly drifted over to Irina after introductions were made completely taken with the toddler in her arms. She has always loved children and took every opportunity she could to be around them. This made her a wonderful teacher and would make her a loyal and devoted mother one day too. Before leaving we made sure to invite them to the party we were having and the girls exchanged phone numbers.

As we walked back up the drive towards the house Bella wrapped her arm around me snuggling into my side before sighing softly. "They seemed nice." I couldn't agree more, little did I know exactly how much of a part Demetri and Irina would be playing in our lives.

*******

BPOV

"Edward, did you want to take an extra suit with us or just the one?" We were supposed to be leaving in an hour and I had still yet to finish packing our bags. The overnight Seattle trip had effectively turned into a weekend trip after Alice decided to come along. With me going with Edward and Emmett bringing Rosalie, Alice felt a bit left out. So we suggested to have her and Jazz come along and we would just book a couple of suites at the Four Seasons, making a weekend of it.

And of course, what weekend would be complete without shopping involved? Since the party was going to be held on the fourth of July, Alice was dead set on all of our bathing suits having a very patriotic theme to them. So even though I had a perfectly good royal blue one piece that had barely been worn at home - the weather in Forks not exactly granting tons of time to lay around in the sun - she insisted that we go shopping for new ones.

"I'll just take the one, love. I can bring my jacket and wear casual slacks and a dress shirt if the need arises." Edward stood behind me methodically rubbing my shoulders and back as I prepared our bags. I was stressing about his meeting at the prison more than I should have. _"Worrying about something you have no control over only causes worry lines and no one likes those,"_ Alice always says. But I wanted him to look the part of an FBI agent. I'd press his clothes again tonight after we got to the hotel. I had his dark blue suit, navy blue silk tie, a crisp white dress shirt that had just been washed but never worn, I even included his lucky boxers. Once he stepped out of that door there was nothing I could do except pray for him, so I was going to handle what little I did control with a lot of care.

As I checked over my list again of what we were taking with us, to be sure I hadn't missed anything, Edward settled against me wrapping his arms around me from behind while resting his chin on my shoulder just holding me. He knew that I was a bit of a control freak when it came to traveling. I had to have things just so or it would bug me the whole time. Every day had it's own Ziploc back of clothes. On the outside of the bags listed in detail everything included so that at the end of the day you never left anything behind. This also gave you a bag to put dirty clothes in so they wouldn't accidentally mix in with the clean stuff. The thought of that happening was just gross.

"Ok, I think I've got it all." Edward didn't say a word he just kissed my neck before grabbing the two massive bags that held both his and my clothes, taking them down to the car. While he was doing that, I walked throughout the house making sure all of the lights were off and nothing was left running. It was Edward's job to check the windows and doors. He knew I could be a bit OCD about that, constantly checking and double checking before walking away, so I was happy to leave that up to him.

I didn't have long to wait before Edward joined me in the car and we were off. Everyone was taking their own car just in case they had to leave at some point, so we just planned on us all meeting at the hotel. Edward and I never needed to fill our alone time with talking, so the majority of the trip we just sat in our own world as the soft music from Edward's Ipod filled the car.

We made it to the hotel in record time and quickly got to our rooms to join the others. I had to think positive, this was going to be a good weekend. I was trying hard to shake this feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Everyone was waiting for us once we got there, having already settled into their rooms. It was still early so we decided to head out to grab a bite to eat before turning in. The restaurant was really nice and we were all sufficiently stuffed once we returned. After saying our goodnights to the others, Edward and I returned to our room. While he dressed for bed I pressed his clothes for tomorrow again. To some these little actions were mundane, everyday things that weren't important. To me, they meant the world to me. I loved taking care of Edward in whatever way I could.

*******

The next morning came quickly and Edward was rushing around trying to get ready. He had plenty of time before he had to be there but you could tell he was anxious. Last night as we lay in bed talking he was so animated. Edward just knew that James' father would hold the key to unlocking the mystery behind catching him.

He kissed me quickly, reminding me how he loved me more than the entire world combined, before rushing out the door to meet Emmett in the lobby. This would be a long day for me as I anxiously waiting for Edward to return. I prayed for everything to be alright, for him to get the answers he was seeking.

I didn't have long to wallow in my feelings before Alice and Rose joined me in my room. We were going shopping to kill some of the down time while we waited for the boys return and they wanted to get an early start. Jasper, god bless him, was willingly going along to play pack mule for us. Alice said that she had to convince him to come along, as hours of shopping with three women would surely be torture for him, but I knew different. Jasper was coming along to keep an eye on us. There was no way Edward would have left me so easily if he hadn't already arranged for me to be watched while he was away. I couldn't, wouldn't feel mad at that. If this made Edward feel more at ease then I'd tolerate a security guard at each side if that helped ease his stress.

Edward and Emmett had taken Edward's car so we took Emmett's Jeep since Alice explained it held the greatest storage space. This left me both wondering and worrying exactly how much she planned to buy that it would take that much space? And by the time we entered our fifth store I knew my fears were justified. Jasper and I were both trudging along behind, trying to keep up and still show the "proper amount of enthusiasm," as Alice called it.

Edward and Emmett were supposed to meet us around two o'clock to pick up a few items that they needed for the party as well, but so far it was only noon. The morning was dragging by and every clock I passed was just a torturous reminder that I couldn't call Edward to find out what was going on. While in the prison cell phones had to be turned in to security along with their weapons and badges and any other items that might be used by dangerous men to create havoc. My greatest comfort came when Edward explained that Emmett would be at his side the entire time, along with another armed guard that worked the ward they were going to be on. I had to trust in their training to know they would be alright. I couldn't go all mother hen on them all the time.

We stopped off at the eatery about one, after Jasper and I ganged up on Alice with our incessant whining about how we were tired, hungry and wouldn't moved another step till we had food and rest. By myself I never could have won, but with Jasper on my side Alice was a pushover. So, we spent the last hour enjoying our lunch and resting till the boys found us.

The look on their faces as they walked to us unfortunately said it all. Emmett's eyes were actually red rimmed as though he had been crying, and Edward's hair was standing up on all ends in more disarray than normal, meaning he had been running his hands through it incessantly. My heart and my enthusiasm dropped immediately as they took their seats. Grabbing Edward's hand in mine I waited patiently, he would talk to me about this when he was ready. I knew he wouldn't want to get into such a heavy topic while at the mall, so I knew it would be later on before I heard more details.

They both sat quietly, picking at their food, not really into it. For Emmett to not have wanted pizza, I knew it must have been a very disappointing day. Alice broke us out of the slump we had fallen into, explaining in her ever chipper way, that Macy's had a sale going on that we just had to get too.

*******

Around four we all made it back to the hotel, piling all of our new purchases into the living room area. The boys had decided to take up residence on the sofa's in front of the T.V. to watch a game, while the girls and I decided to start picking through some of our purchases. Rosalie quickly found the bathing suit that I had reluctantly purchased, after much begging and pleading from her and Alice. It was nice, don't get me wrong. The top was a deep royal blue with a few stars sprinkled across the cups and the bottom was a blood red color. The entire thing had white piping to complete the patriotic theme. But it was also very revealing. Since the attack, I hadn't shown that much skin to anyone, much less doing so on purpose. Edward was the only one who got a frequent look at my back and he constantly told me how it suited me and that I made it look beautiful, not the other way around.

But this would be the first time friends and family would be getting an up-close view of it. I wasn't feeling completely at ease with that. I had even broached the subject with Edward about what his thoughts were on having the tattoo removed. I knew it wasn't an easy or comfortable procedure and it would likely take several visits to have it completely removed since it was so large. He just assured me that whatever I decided he would stand behind 100%, which I was eternally grateful for. Edward never gave me any reason to believe that he was any less attracted to me because of it. In fact there were times at night I'd be in a semi-awake state and I'd feel him tracing it with his fingertips or placing soft kisses along the lines of it. It wasn't something I needed to make a decision on right away and I knew that I had far to much to think about right now without adding that to my plate as well.

"Damn it." I couldn't help muttering it as I rummaged through my bags, realizing that I had forgotten to buy the matching cover-up to the bikini. I knew I could find something at home that would work just as well, so I tried to let it go. I could hear light snickering coming from across the table from Alice and Rosalie.

"What?" Ok, so I knew what they were laughing at but seriously was it that big of a thing?

"You cussed." Alice couldn't hold it in any more and burst out laughing.

"Such a dirty mouth Bella, really. You are going to corrupt our innocent little minds with such words." Coming from Rosalie that made _me_ laugh. I was convinced the term "cussing like a sailor" was created with Rosalie in mind. She could curse you up one side and down the other. Occasionally she taught even the vilest of mouths a new word or two.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. I can curse from time to time if I want too. And you don't need to go all bug-eyed on me when I do."

"Sweetie, I'm not sure you've ever said more than that one thing in your life, so I think we are all safe from your potty mouth." Alice's knowing smirk was starting to grate on my nerves. Ok, so I didn't exactly feel the need to wash my mouth out with soap ever waking minute, but I wasn't the goodie two-shoes everyone thought I was. I could show my wild side every once in a while.

"Hey I'm not always the perfect little angel everyone tries to make me out to be." This just made them laugh harder at me.

"Bella, think about it. You don't curse, you don't drink or smoke. The only time you buy anything even remotely racy to wear is because WE buy it for you. You didn't have sex until you were engaged to the man you are going to marry. Sweetie, if you were anymore pure we'd worry you were trying out to be a nun." They made it sound like all of this was a bad thing? Was I wrong to have lived this way all of my life?

Rosalie must have understood my reaction because she quickly reached her hand over taking mine and gently squeezed it.

"Sweetie, we aren't saying this is a bad thing. I think what we are saying is that for you to be "bad," in any form, is just so odd for us to see. We are used to the sweet girl we've grown up around all our lives. And anytime you deter from that, well it's a little shocking. But that doesn't make you bad or wrong in anyway. Besides you know us, we are just teasing you. I wish I were more like you actually. I mean very few people would ever refer to me as an angel that's for sure."

I knew she meant well by her comment but part of me hated to hear it. Did James take me because I was such a goodie-goodie? Could I have stopped all of this if I had just been different, a little more foul-mouthed at times, or if Edward and I hadn't of waited, or heck if I had just been caught drinking a time or two? Would any of that have made a difference, if I had been different? Jumping up from the table I ran into the bedroom, returning quickly with the pad of paper and pen from the bedside table.

"Ok, you are going to help me correct my problem then. You are going to teach me how to curse."

I said it so matter-of-factly that they started up again laughing at me. Alice was even holding her sides now she was laughing so hard. As she wiped the tears from her eyes she asked, "You can't be serious?"

"I'm dead serious. If there is even a hint of a chance that this asshole," my face flooded with a blush the moment the word left my lips, "chose me because I'm such an angel as you put it, well then I don't want to be one anymore."

Rolling her eyes, Rosalie grabbed the paper and pen from me and started to write. "Ok, so where do we start? How about "The ABC's Of Cursing"." She nudged Alice playfully before continuing to write. "So we already know the "A", you've said that one already." I watched as her elegant script spelled out "asshole" on the paper.

"B for Bitch," Alice chirped up, giggling after saying it.

"C for Cunt," Rosalie wrote quickly, knowing Alice would take D next.

"Would she actually say that? I mean that is kinda vulgar even for us."

"Who knows? I didn't think she had it in her to say asshole and she came up with that one on her own. I think our little angel is full of surprises today Ally."

They continued on like this for several minutes. It seemed almost as though they forget I was even sitting there, they were so intent on completing their list.

"Babe what's a cuss word that starts with an E," Rose yelled to Emmett. The boys had been so entranced in the game, that being called to attention like that made them all jump a little.

I love my brother, but the look of pure concentration on his face at Rosalie's request made it look like he was constipated. "I don't think there is one babe."

She just shrugged and continued on with the list. Apparently F, G, and H were easy but I was a stumper too. Both Rose and Alice were in deep thought as Edward approached the table.

He kneeled down so that he was now eye level to me. "What are you up too baby?"

"Alice and Rosalie are teaching me how to curse," I said rather proudly.

"Really?" The smirk on his face told me he was trying hard not to laugh at me. "Yes really. Everyone thinks I'm such a goodie-goodie, and can never do any wrong. What if that's one of the reason's James took me Edward?" Reaching up he gently caressed my cheek before taking the list away from Rosalie. I was so intently looking into Edward's eyes, waiting for an answer that didn't confirm my suspicions, that I didn't realize how quiet the entire room had gotten. Everyone was staring at me.

"What's A Bella?" It took me a moment to realize he was waiting to hear me say the word we had associated with the letter. It sounded so strange even to my own ears to hear me say it.

"Asshole."

"B?"

"Bitch."

"C?" I blushed furiously at this one. It really did sound vulgar to say, even for a curse word. "Cunt," I all but whispered.

"D?"

"Dick," my face was burning hot I was blushing so much now.

"F?"

I couldn't even look him in the eyes by now. It felt so wrong to curse much less look Edward in the eyes while doing it. It made me feel dirty somehow. Letting out a long sigh I realized what he was doing.

"Fuck," I whispered finishing off, tucking my chin against my chest in shame and disappointment.

Edward gently lifted my face and looked me straight in the eye. "Don't you dare change one thing about you for this asshole." I felt the corner's of my mouth turning up slightly at his use of my curse word. "You are beautiful and perfect just as you are. No one should make you feel like you need to change one single thing about you." Leaning forward he pressed his lips tenderly against mine. The moment his lips touched mine warmth began to spread throughout my body. Edward always knew how to make everything alright. Pulling away slowly he pressed his forehead against mine before finishing his thought.

"Remember, the woman you grew up to become is the woman I fell in love with mind, body and soul."

*******

EPOV

Believe it or not I could understand Bella's desire to change how she was. I caught myself wondering a couple of times if Bella had been a different person, more racy perhaps, that his wouldn't have happened to her. I quickly dismissed that thought though. I truly believed one of the only reason Bella had made it out alive was BECAUSE she was such a good, pure person. He didn't have the heart to murder someone so sweet and innocent as Bella. Maybe this made him sloppy, maybe this was what gave her enough time to get away. The thought of her changing a single thing about herself because of this maniac was almost to much to bare.

Victims to violent crimes would often try reinventing themselves, believing if they were somehow different that it would never have happened to them. This was one of the many stages of acceptance they had to go through in order to finally come to terms with the events that took place.

The mood of the room was still a bit heavy after Bella and I were done talking about her list of foul language. So Alice being Alice decided it was her job to break the silence.

"How about we head out tonight?" All of us emitted a small groan, not really very taken with the idea. It had been such an exhausting and disappointing day so far. All I really wanted to do was to take a hot bath with my girl, have a hot meal, and sleep the rest of the night away. Maybe the old adage would prove true then, things would look brighter in the morning?

"Oh come on you guys," Alice whined, "we can't let things get us down. Besides a night out might be just what the doctor ordered." I was about to tell Alice that I had no intention of going out when Bella chimed in with a blushing "hell yeah". With that little declaration, apparently we were going out tonight.

So with that all three girls grabbed their bags and sprinted off to the bedroom. But before the bedroom door closed, Alice stuck her head out to give us our instructions. "Nice jeans, tee-shirts, with a button-up over them, oh and boots if you have them. Shower, shave and be back here, ready in two hours." Blowing us all a kiss, she slammed the door shut. Hurricane Alice struck again and we never even knew it.

Being the good little soldiers that we were, and being terribly afraid of Alice when she had a plan, we made our way to Emmett's room next door to shower and change. Unlike the girls, we were all ready in less than an hour. So we decided to just hang out a little and utilize the Playstation that Emmett had requested for his room. Time sure does fly when you are having fun and the hour flew by before we knew it. My Dallas Cowboys were effectively stomping Emmett's Washington Redskins when the door to the suite opened.

It started off like watching the opening credits to one of those old 70's hits like Charlie's Angels. Alice walked in first, her black hair spiked perfectly in waves around her face. Her halter-top was a deep green that twinkled and shimmered with her movements even under the subtle lights of the hotel room. She had jeans on that were so damn tight I was sure she had to have both girls help her get them on. Sister or not I have no problem realizing what a knock-out she really is.

Rose came in next, and I swear she floated. Farrah Fawcett held nothing to this girl. Her long blond hair had been pulled back into a ponytail that fell over her shoulder. What she wore for a top could barely be considered that as it was really just a vest. The shorts she had on would have put even Daisy Duke to shame they were so short. I chanced a glance over at Emmett and I swear the man was practically salivating. Reaching over, I shut his gaping mouth before giving him a punch in the arm for ogling my little sister.

Turning a little more to face Jasper I was about to do the same to him but stopped as I watched him slowly lift his hand toward the door, pointing at something behind me. Whipping back around I saw exactly what he was gawking at and I confess, I couldn't blame him. There, standing just inside the door way, was my angel.

Her hair had grown out considerably the past month and it now fell about three inches below her shoulders. Long ringlets cascaded down the sides of her porcelain face, she had on a blood red tube top that accentuated her petite figure impeccably. I could tell that she was waiting for my response to her outfit because she kept tugging at the bottom of her uncomfortably short jeans skirt. Part of me, my internal angel if you will, was begging me to ask her to go and put some more clothes on, but the other part of me, the horny devil inside, was sufficiently beating the crap out of the other angel telling him to shut his gaping pie hole because she looked hot and delicious enough to eat.

I wasn't really aware of how long I had been gaping at them until I heard somewhere in the background Tony Romo being sacked by a Redskins player. This time, it was Emmett who knocked me out of my state of shock with a wallop of one of his meat hooks to my shoulder. Stumbling to my feet, while still reeling from the effects of being beaten, I walked slowly to Bella, never taking my eyes off of her. The closer I got, the more she worried her delicately glossed bottom lip between her teeth. Wrapping my arms around her, feeling her soft body melt into my own, I eased her lip out from her teeth with my thumb before whispering exactly how beautiful she looked.

My girl never needed make-up. Her natural beauty and blush were more than enough to make up for anything artificial that may need to be added. The scent of cherry lip gloss filled my lungs as I kissed her perfect mouth. We were still kissing when the others joined us at the door. I heard Rose mention to Alice, "I'm glad I packed the tube of lip gloss in Bella's purse. The way they are going at it now, by the time we make it to the bar, he'll have used half of it up licking it off of her." Bella's blush deepened because we both knew she was right. I just couldn't keep my hands off of her for long.

*******

We pulled into the parking lot of the bar we were going too and all of a sudden the clothes we had on made complete sense to me. Country was really not my style of music, but I learned a long time ago not to try to undermine what my sister wanted. So never mind what I wanted, I knew that I'd just have to endure it.

The music was so loud you could hear it with no difficulty from well outside of the bar. Apparently a big singer was in town performing and she had stopped off at the "Down and Dirty Saloon" which was an old stomping ground of hers before she hit it big. So needless to say the place was packed. Carefully we weaved our way throughout the crowd, heading towards the bar. The noise was deafening and the room was stifling hot with so many people jammed into one space. But the energy was contagious and I found myself beginning to really have a good time.

Bella pressed up tight against me as we swayed to the music was something I wouldn't change for the world. She had begged Rosalie to explain the finer points of drinking to her and was now indulging in her fourth sex on the beach. I tried to slow her down a little since she wasn't used to drinking but my words seemed to go in one ear and out the other as she giggled and swayed to the music.

"Love, just because it tastes a lot like orange juice doesn't mean that it doesn't still have a lot of alcohol in it." I found I had to yell just for her to hear me over all the commotion. I confess, drunk Bella was still hot as hell. She just swatted my chest playfully, telling me not to be such a party-pooper. Since I was the designated driver tonight, I had just one beer before spending the rest of the night nursing soda's and water. Jasper and Emmett seemed to have a nice buzz going, but no where near as drunk as I knew they could be.

The girls however were tearing it up. Thankfully, my black AMEX didn't have a limit to it or I was going to start worrying we were going to spend the night cleaning dishes in order to get out of here. After a few hours of dancing I pulled Bella over to the table where Rosalie and Alice were kanoodling with the guys, asking them to keep an eye on her while I excused myself. She just giggled and saluted me telling me she'd be right here waiting for me. That was after she suggestively ran her hand down the front of my pants, pressing into my growing erection, telling me how she would gladly help me out with any problem that I was suffering from. That was another thing about drunk Bella, she got grabby-handed. Not that I minded, but my hard-on was going to be impossible to piss through.

Unfortunately due to this - well who am I kidding, I'm not going to look down at my lap and say "little" would ever fit whenever describing the size of my cock - but it was a problem I had to handle before I could relieve myself. So, it took me a while longer to get back to the table than expected. Once I did, it was just the guys there.

I didn't have to ask where the girls went because I could hear the whoops and hollers from the crowd gathered around the stage as all three of them sang loudly, Gretchen Wilson's "Hell Yeah". Why is it that no matter where we go, there is always a fucking karaoke machine there? Seriously, the fucking things should be outlawed. After the girls were finished, two more women stepped up to fill their spots choosing some song about "chicken fry and cold beers on a Friday night." I did my best to tune them out at that point. They were prime cases that it didn't take talent to sing with a karaoke machine.

By the time the girls had made it back through the crowd to us, Bella had yet another drink in her hand. I was starting to worry that our discussion from earlier, about her not needing to change herself for anyone, had not stuck and she was trying to drink herself into forgetting. Unfortunately, she didn't heed my warning about the hangover and severe headache she was going to have tomorrow before things got out of control.

"How much has she had exactly?" I half yelled to Alice who had taken a seat beside me.

"Two boiler-makers, five sex on the beaches, and I think this makes her third beer." She cast me a sheepish smile because she knew that I would be pissed. Bella had drunk to much and she knew it. Someone with as petite of a body as Bella should never drink that much. She had as much as Emmett would have had on a good night and miraculously was still standing. Although that might be debated, as she wasn't exactly standing on her own, but rather leaning on anything and everyone in order to stay upright.

I reached over and took her drink from her, earning me a scowl, before I explained that she had enough. I could tell she was about to argue with me before I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out of my pocket just in time to see the directors name flash on the screen. Why would he be calling me this late at night? I told him I would give him a complete break down of the visit tomorrow after Emmett and I had a chance to go over the tapes of the visit.

"Hello? Sir?" I yelled into the phone but couldn't hear anything in return. I motioned to Emmett that I was going to step outside to take the call as he pulled Bella back down beside him. Her words were slurring heavily as she explained to Emmett how Sex on the Beaches were delicious and she definitely needed to have another as her hands were very empty without one to hold on too.

After finally pushing my way outside, I looked down at my phone to see the call was still connected. I could hear the person on the other end of the line breathing. But it wasn't the directors' voice that came through the speaker.

"Having one hell of a party tonight aren't you Eddie?" Clutching my phone so tight in my hand I swear I heard the plastic crack, I growled back at him.

"Now, now is that anyway to greet a friend?" His chuckles rang in my ear.

"You are no friend of mine you son-of-a-bitch and when I find you I'm going to rip you limb from limb you got me?"

"Such anger and hostility Eddie. Is that the kind of thanks I get after I've been keeping an eye on your girl for you all afternoon." I stopped my pacing. What did he just say?

"That's right Eddie. While you were playing footsie with Daddy Dearest I've been keeping a close eye on your lady love. She's quite the little whore actually. You should of seen some of the outfits she tried on today. And that bikini, well I know now I judged her wrong. There's nothing angelic about someone who would openly flash that much skin to any male that will look her way. I wonder…" I knew he wasn't done with his filthy accusations. "Do you think your daddy gets a boner looking at her tight little body wrapped up in barely there material? How about you take a look for yourself. The last one is my favorite."

The call ended and just as quickly I got a picture message. There were several files attached and it took a while to download, but once it did I was enraged. Picture after picture flashed by of Bella throughout the day. One of her entering a dressing room, another of her laughing at the food court before I got there, another was much closer of her leaving our hotel room walking beside Rosalie. But the last one sent my heart to racing. It was of Bella and the girls on stage, taken just a few minutes ago.

He was here. At this very moment. And I was separated from Bella. Slamming my phone shut I ran to Emmett's Jeep. Since I was the driver for the night I had the keys and quickly whipped open the trunk. In a lock box in the back hidden in the hide-away compartment I grabbed and loaded the spare gun I knew Emmett kept with him for protection. Racing back to through the bar entrance, I couldn't get to the group fast enough. The pain in my chest had started again and was excruciating now but I couldn't focus on that. Again I found our table but with only Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie remaining.

_Fuck! Where is she?_

I was panicked. I had to get Bella out of there now. Where was she? Jasper answered my question before I could even speak it, saying that Alice had gone with Bella to the bathroom.

"Emmett, get Rosalie to the car and lock yourselves both the fuck in understand?" The slight buzz he had been feeling was quickly replaced by adrenaline as he realized something was wrong. Catching the keys that I tossed him easily he drug a shocked and worried Rosalie behind him as he made to leave the bar.

Jasper followed behind me closely knowing that I wouldn't flip out like this unless something had happened and he knew that this wasn't the time for questions. Weaving through the crowd we caught up to Bella and Alice just as Bella was taking a sip from her bottle of water. Grabbing it I shoved it down on the bar before gripping her hand and dragging her behind me. Jasper had his arm wrapped tightly around Alice's waist following me. Her little feet were barely touching the floor as he all but carried her towards the exit.

I knew Bella never liked to be manhandled but I just couldn't think straight right now. My first and only concern was getting her to safety. And that meant by any means necessary. She struggled with me until we were outside the door and from there I lifted her over my shoulder, careful to put my hand over her backside so she wouldn't flash anyone in her short skirt. She kept mumbling to herself over and over again.

"Eddie's a party pooper, party pooper." I knew going out tonight was a horrible idea. By the time I reached the car Bella was desperately trying to wiggle herself free from my grasp but I was holding her tighter so she couldn't get away.

"Edward you might want to let her down, she's looking a little green." Alice warned me just in time for me to let Bella down and spin her around away from me before she threw-up. By the time Emmett joined my side Bella was dry heaving. Alice was holding her hair back and I was doing my best to soothe her by rubbing her back while still scanning the parking lot. That fucker wouldn't have left he would be watching. He enjoyed a show.

"What's wrong Edward?" Emmett's worried face brought me back to the moment and I knew I had to fill him in.

"Jasper, get the girls in the car, lock the doors. If you hear or see anything to make you suspect something bad is going to happen you get the hell out of here you hear me?"

Jasper was helping Alice into the car as I explained to Emmett, showing him the pictures James had sent me.

"He's here Emmett. The mother-fucker is here." Rage filled Emmett's eyes as he looked over the photos and I knew he understood now why I had to have us rush out of there.

I lifted Bella up and set her gently into the car as Alice's arms wrapped around her.

"Take care of her Alice." I could tell by the way she bit her bottom lip that she was trying hard to keep it together long enough to take care of my girl.

Even in her lethargic state Bella realized I was about to leave her to do something potentially very dangerous and grabbed on to me. "Don't leave me Edward, please. Just call the cops, let them handle it. Please baby you are off duty. Please don't leave me." The sound of Bella begging me to stay tore at my heart but I knew I had to follow this lead, I may not get a chance to be this close again. It had already been several minutes since the phone call and I couldn't afford to spend more arguing with Bella. Pressing her hard into Alice's side I quickly slammed the door shut, locking Bella inside. As Emmett ran back to the bar with me I could faintly hear Bella banging on the glass calling my name.

Just as we were a few feet from the entrance to the club I saw him. He was leaning against the entrance to the alleyway smiling at me. Quickly changing my course I began to run after him as he darted down the dark alley. Emmett apparently didn't realize I had run in a different direction, I couldn't hear him behind me. The alley was barely lit by the light at the back door to the bar. Drawing my gun, I knew I had to be ready for anything. As I was drawing nearer to the edge of the building I heard footsteps pounding toward me from behind.

"Shit Edward look out." I had just enough time to turn and look before my gun went off and everything went black.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read my work. Remember I'm doing this totally unbeta'd now and so there's no way I'll catch everything that is wrong with this story. I just hope that you will over look that and just enjoy it anyway. _

_Have I lost my readers? I hope not. I know it's been a while since I updated and I'm really truly sorry. I can't write when I'm in a depressed mood and lately with the whole work situation I've been struggling to get this out there. _

_So send me a friendly hello if you like what I've put together. I'd love to hear from you. _

_Love you all!!_


	28. Chapter 28

**Twilight is the sole property of Mrs. Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown publishing. No infringement was intended in the making of this story. **

_A/N: I would say that I'm sorry that I left you guys in a lurch on the last chapter….but I'd be telling a story if I did. I can't help it, I LOVE cliff hangers. But I will try my best not to do that to you on this chapter. I am going to try to tie up some loose ends as well. So if by the end of it you STILL have some questions, about some things maybe I've missed and haven't covered. Then please feel free to send me a review with your thoughts. I'll try to get to them either by response or in a chapter to come. _

_Once again thank you for being so wonderful and reading my story. It means the world to me that you are taking the time to do so. And I hope you enjoy it. _

* * *

BPOV

I was having such a good time. The music was so loud you could feel it thumping in your chest. The bar seemed to have a never ending supply of these delicious orangey-colored drinks, and I had my dearest friends and my love at my side. What more could I ask for?

It felt so good not to feel for a change. For once, to just stop thinking about everything that was dragging me down, to just get lost in the moment. The strongest alcohol I've ever had in my life was to much Nyquil one night. So I was really starting to feel very light-headed and dizzy. And everyone was talking so slowly, like they were dragging their words. What was wrong with them?

I didn't even mind when Alice pulled me up on stage to sing with her and Rosalie. For once I didn't feel like saying no. I was having a good time dammit and nothing was going to spoil it. Edward looked like he was having a good time too. It feels like it's been forever since I'd seen him laugh and smile so much. And if what I had been feeling pressed into my backside all night long was any indication he was definitely enjoying himself.

When Edward took my drink from me I was a little put off. But he was probably right. I had been indulging in my new found hobby a little much tonight and should probably switch to some water to maybe help even it out a little.

_Water. Damn it, now I've got to pee. Great. Maybe Alice will go with me._

While Edward left to go answer a phone call, I all but drug Alice with me to the ladies room. There was no way I was going in there by myself. Who knows what I might find. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and was a bit shocked. My mascara had run a little, giving me a bit of a raccoon look. I guess I didn't realize how hot it was in there because my hair looked a bit stringy now, instead of the soft ringlets that I had started out with. Even my legs felt moist from all of the heat emanating from the bodies banging against one another.

After Alice and I were both through, I steadied myself at the sink to try to wipe myself down a little. The cold paper towel felt so good on my hot skin. The door to the bathroom opened, allowing two more women into the somewhat cramped room. I'll never understand why an establishment that serves to women as well as men never builds bathrooms with more than two stalls in it? If you have twenty or more women in a room it's a good bet that at least five of them will have to go at the same time throughout the night. Do you see the guys waiting like women do? I don't think so.

One of the women spoke to me as they squeezed past to get to the stall. "Hot tattoo. Bet that fucking hurt when you had that done, huh?" It didn't sound like she was saying it with malice intended, she truly sounded fascinated by it. But just her mentioning it made me aware of how exposed I was. People could see it and thought I had put it there on purpose. My gasp at her words caught in my throat and I couldn't get myself out of that bathroom fast enough. I stumbled out with Alice hot on my heels. Taking a deep breath I tried to calm my nerves.

"Are you ok sweetie?" Alice was gripping my hand, she could tell that what the woman had said upset me. I just didn't have it in me at the moment to answer her, so I just nodded my head. I needed another drink after that, so I started pushing my way through the crowd with Alice in tow. We had made it to the bar, I opted this time for water instead of alcohol. The after effects of the many drinks I had tonight were still making me feel a bit loopy, so when I caught a glimpse of Edward heading towards me I couldn't help but giggle. My brave knight would take me into his arms and make me forget all of my troubles.

I was prepared for him reaching for me, what I wasn't prepared for was the way he started to practically drag me out the door. Oh god, had I done something to embarrass him? Was he angry at me? This was not like Edward at all. He knew I didn't like to be treated this way. I started jerking on my arm, not to get away from him but to get him to stop for a moment and explain to me what I had done. I caught a glimpse of Alice behind me. Jasper was practically carrying her out the door, both moving as fast as they could in such a tight audience. Just as we burst through the cool air of the entrance, Edward finally stopped but only long enough to pick me up and throw me over his shoulder. At least he had the presence of mind to cover my behind with his arm. In this position I would have been flashing half of Seattle if he hadn't.

The light headed feeling I was experiencing was making me both silly and sick feeling. Playfully I popped Edward's backside as I hung upside down telling him what a party pooper he was. But between his movements and the fact that everything was now upside down, I knew that if I didn't get down soon I was going to throw up all over Edwards back. Alice must of noticed my predicament because the next thing I knew Edward was putting me down and spinning me around. Unfortunately this gave my stomach the final churn it needed and I threw everything up.

Everyone was so loud around me, but I couldn't really hear what they were saying. All I could focus on was the fact that it felt like I was trying to vomit my stomach up through my throat. Ever so often I'd be able to take a deep breath. I prayed that if I lived through this, I'd never drink anything ever again just before another bought would send me heaving. It's amazing how clear your mind becomes after you've gotten rid of so much. Suddenly everything was moving like it was in fast forward. Edward was telling Emmett about a phone call he had gotten, then he was picking me up and putting me into Emmett's jeep giving Jasper instructions to run if things got to hairy. I was so confused, what was going on? Why would we ever leave without my Edward?

What I heard next made my heart stop. James was here and Edward and Emmett were going after him. After hearing this I desperately tried to pull Edward into the car with me. I begged and pleaded for him to stay with me, not to leave me. If he loved me he'd stay right? James was dangerous. If he was here then he had to have been baiting Edward to follow him. He wasn't stupid. The knot of dread filling my stomach almost made me want to hurl again. I thought I had grabbed Edward's shirt tight enough that he couldn't slip through my fingers, but suddenly I was being shoved back into Alice's arms that were now wrapping tightly around me, keeping me still, while the door was slammed in my face.

How do I describe the next few minutes that past? My heart was running away from me, straight into a trap. I could feel it. I clawed at the door, banged on the window, begged and pleaded for Edward to stay with me. Subconsciously, I knew he was doing his job, that this is what he was supposed to do. But all I could think about at that moment was, no…not my Edward, please. After about the hundredth time of tugging at the damn door, I realized Edward must have turned the child safety latch on the side so I wouldn't be able to open it from the inside. Turning towards the front I realized if I wanted to get out, I'd have to crawl over the seats and Rosalie, who was sitting in the front in order to get out. Just as I gripped the front seat, making myself ready to hurl myself over, I saw Emmett racing down the alley beside the bar. Only a few seconds passed before I heard it.

Being the daughter of a cop, you just know what that sound is. It's a sound you never want to hear when anyone you love is on the job. Especially when you can't see the outcome. The loud pop of a gun filled the air and it seemed to drown out everything else around it. When you hear that sound every horrible thought passes through your mind in that moment. You begin to beg and pray every prayer you've ever been taught that your worst fears aren't true. For a moment everyone in the car froze, no one dared even breathe. Everyone's focus was concentrated on that alleyway and who, if anyone, would be coming out.

When I saw my teddy bear of a big brother slowly come walking out, supporting the weight of my Edward, my heart stopped. I began clawing my way out of the car again. I was going to get to him by any means necessary, even if it meant I had to take this damn Jeep apart one bolt at a time. Jasper had made it out of the car and to my side quick enough to open my door. My feet wouldn't move fast enough, the dizziness from earlier long forgotten. I willed my feet to move faster, I had to get to them.

EmmPOV

They train you for so much at the academy. How to shoot and hit your target. How to recognize a situation for what it really was. How to be prepared for just about anything. What they never prepare you for though, is to watch the man you consider to be a brother, come face to face with possible death. When I realized Edward wasn't behind me, as I opened the doors to the bar, I knew I had to get to him fast.

I didn't have time to be angry with him for going off without back-up. I prayed I'd have plenty of time to bitch at him later. But just as I rounded that corner my gut was telling me we were running straight into a trap. Edward had barely reached the edge of the building when I saw the two by four rounding the corner straight for his head. It all happened so fast. I yelled, Edward turned, the board smacked hard into his skull, his gun went off, two piercing cries filled the dark alley and then Edward was on the ground. He fell like a stone. It all played out so quickly and yet it seemed everything was in slow motion at the same time.

To some it may the wrong time to be thinking this, but the first thing that crossed my mind as I got to Edward's side was, "_Bella's gonna kill me if he's hurt." _Carefully I looked around the corner but the alley was empty. I did however notice a small pool of blood not far from Edward's feet. Frantically I started checking his legs, arms, torso everything to find the wound. But there wasn't anything.

Lucky son of a bitch must have shot James.

The sound of Edward groaning snapped me out of my admiration. The dumb little shit could have gotten himself killed. "Oh my head," he moaned, clutching his head that was now bleeding profusely. They always say that head wounds bleed like a motherfucker. I guess they were right. The right side of Edward's hair was quickly matting with blood, trickling down his neck and soaking his shirt. I ripped off my top shirt just leaving my tee-shirt underneath and applied some pressure to the wound.

He was moving to get up, so I reached around him to support his weight. It was like trying to carry a 185 pound limp noodle. But after a few steps he found his footing and started taking careful steps with me towards the light that was filtering through from the street. I could hear Bella calling his name from just outside the entrance of the alley. We weren't more than a few feet onto the street before she plowed into him. If I hadn't of been holding onto him, my tiny little sister would have taken them both down.

I steadied him as he swayed a bit holding on to Bella. Rosalie was at my side just seconds later, wrapping her arms around me. I always admired how tough Rose could be, but at that moment it did something to me to see her crying. She was worried about me and wasn't afraid to show it.

Edward's legs finally gave out on him and he crumpled to the ground, taking a still sobbing Bella down with him. He was trying his best to calm her down. She was snubbing, barely able to take a breath in between cries. Jasper had pulled a sobbing Alice in tight to his side as he was on the phone, hopefully calling 911. Edward's head needed to be looked at and I was pretty certain it was going to warrant several stitches.

Bella has never handled blood very well. When we were juniors in high school her biology teacher made the whole class prick their own fingers in order to provide blood samples for an experiment. Bella didn't even get that far. She saw the needle and passed out cold. But tonight she was holding her own pretty nicely. Her left hand was holding my shirt firmly to Edward's skull, trying to stop the bleeding, while at the same time her face was buried in the crook of his neck. I watched as her right hand stroked slowly up and down Edward's back. It was just moments ago that she was in hysterics and now it was her that was offering him comfort. My little sister never ceases to amaze me.

The sirens approaching were actually music to my ears. All I wanted was for this night to be over, but unfortunately I knew that it was really only just beginning. When the FBI is involved in something, it's never just a simple process. Plus, Charlie would be called and he would be fit to be tied till all of us were home safely. That is if he didn't drive down here himself to jerk a new one into all of us. I can hear the lectures now about proceeding with caution, and following procedures. I was NOT looking forward to that conversation any time soon.

I watched as the EMT's got Edward onto a gurney and loaded him into the back of the ambulance. My sister walked slowly behind him clutching the bloody shirt tightly in her hands.

BPOV

It felt like a life time passed before I finally reached Edward. When I did he could barely hold me he was so weak. I was crying so hard that I could barely make out what he was saying. And actually he wasn't really saying a lot. His words were coming out mumbled, like he was half asleep and his brain wasn't catching up to the movement of his lips. This worried me more than the massive amount of blood that was soaking clear through the shirt I was holding.

As I climbed in back of the ambulance with the EMT that was attending to Edward, I couldn't help but notice how much of Edward's blood was on my hands. It went clear up to my wrist. My engagement ring was covered in it. Alice would have to help me to clean it properly. Looking up, I saw Edward watching me intently. His eye was already swelling almost shut and his cheek bone was beginning to turn a deep purple. He looked like he was just waiting for me to flip out on him again. But I wouldn't, at least not now. He didn't need that from me. He needed me to be strong, and that's just what I was going to be.

The EMT must have also noticed my discomfort because he handed me some alcohol wipes from a cabinet to clean my hands up with. They had Edward situated in no time, although he protested the entire time and we were whisked away to the hospital. I truly felt horrible for Emmett though because we were leaving him with a mountain of a mess to clean up after.

We got to the hospital about fifteen minutes later and they wheeled Edward off to a room to have a CT scan done. Alice, Jasper and Rosalie weren't far behind the ambulance and joined me in the waiting room. The CT was taking forever and the four cups of coffee I had in the mean time only helped to set my nerves more on edge.

Every time I got even a moment alone with my thoughts, I had the scene from tonight running through it. Edward stumbling from the darkness, blood flowing down his face, Emmett hunched over his body. I was so scared for both of them. Rosalie even cried when she held Emmett, and she never cries. It could have been so much worse. Getting up from my seat I began to pace again, trying hard not to think about it more. It wouldn't serve any purpose to constantly rehash it.

It was about an hour later that Emmett showed up, with his boss and my father both in tow. Charlie rushed to my side, pulling me into a death grip of a hug. But I didn't mind. In that moment, I needed my daddy and the comfort only he could offer me, if my Edward couldn't be there. Em and his boss were in the corner quietly talking, Alice was curled up against Jasper and Rosalie was on the phone. She had called Carlisle and Esme to let them know what was going on. Carlisle was apparently on another line speaking to a hospital administrator to get more details on Edward's condition.

Time seems to pass so slowly when you are waiting on news. Finally the doctor, who I recognized as being one of the ones who had wheeled Edward away, came out to talk to us. They were going to keep Edward overnight for observation as he had taken quite a severe blow to the head. He was so lethargic when he first came in, they didn't want to take any chances and were going to keep a close eye on him, at least for the next twenty-four hours.

It's at least another twenty minutes before Edward is taken to a private room for the night. In the meantime officer after officer files in and out of the waiting area reporting details. Apparently there was blood at the scene that wasn't Edward's. And the bullet that was fired from Edward's gun was not found. So that only left one option. It was still lodged in whatever it landed in. Everyone was praying that Edward got a lucky shot in and hit James somehow. I knew that it was a long shot. According to Emmett, Edward had been hit from his blind side and never really had time to take aim at all.

But I couldn't worry about that right now. What I was worried about most was sleeping beside me. Nothing ever sounded sweeter than the steady beeping of Edward's heartbeat on the monitor by the bed. The right side of his face was a dull shade of purple from the impact. It hurt just to look at it, I could only imagine the amount of pain it was causing him. The doctor had said that even though Edward had objected to it, he was put on a mild pain killer to help him to sleep. But not strong enough to keep him knocked out as they had to come and wake him every three hours as a precaution.

Three hours from now was going to be a struggle. I've known and loved Edward almost my entire life, but I learned quickly if you tried to wake him before he had gotten his nap out, then he was a real bear to wake. He'd fight you tooth and nail to get just a few more minutes in. The nurse entered late in the night for his first wake up. Emmett had found a rather comfortable recliner and set it up in Edward's room for me. With the addition of a pillow and a blanket I was set for a long night. I knew I wouldn't be getting much sleep. Every time Edward shifted or uttered even a slight moan, my eyes would pop open ready to come to his aid. Plus with the addition of the side effects of my very first hangover headache, I was restless most of the night. So when the nurse came in to wake him I almost didn't help. Almost. After about five minutes of her nudging him and several missed attempts of him swatting her away, I finally got up to help her.

"May I?" I gestured towards Edward's sleeping form. The frazzled nurse just nodded in resignation that she was getting no where and quickly accepted my help. "Baby, baby if you don't get up, Emmett's gonna eat all your pancakes. And I made your favorite, blueberry." His droopy eyes barely opened as he began to pull the covers back to get up. I couldn't help but laugh, it worked every time.

"No, no, no baby, go back to sleep," I whispered softly so as not to startle him. "We'll have pancakes in the morning. You were just dreaming." Pushing his hands gently away and tucking him back in, I turned to the nurse still standing at his side. She just shook her head, laughing along with me. "Men," she chuckled. "They're always thinking with one of two body parts."

******

The night passed by quickly, having only needed to rouse Edward two more times before he decided he was up for good. His head was throbbing and the dark purple bruising down his face just appeared to have gotten darker over night. The doctor had come in for a few follow up tests saying everything looked really good. So good that if we played our cards right we could be out of here before lunch. We were both extremely happy with this bit of news, we had both had our fill of hospitals over the past month and didn't want to stay longer than necessary.

Around 11:30 the doctor came in with Edward's release papers for me to sign. He was under strict instructions not to drive and to take it easy for at least the next couple of days. We were warned that he might experience a little vertigo, since the initial hit was so near his ear and that it was to best to allow his body to heal properly before trying to jump back into everyday life.

After meeting everyone for a quick lunch, we all headed back to the hotel. Watching from the outside looking in, you wouldn't have thought anything of it. Alice always walked side by side next to Jasper, but now instead of just holding hands, she wrapped her other arm around his forearm as well, drawing her body in close to his side with each step.

Emmett always had Rosalie pressed into his side when they went anywhere. He'd always said he was so proud to have her at his side, that he was constantly looking for ways to show her off to others. His arm was around her waist with his hand in the back pocket of her jeans. Her hand was around his waist, but her fingers were wrapped through the belt loops of his jeans in a death grip. There was no way he was going to be making any sudden movements without Rosalie knowing about it.

And then there was me. My reaction, to others, would seem like that of a caring girlfriend looking after her man who had been injured. To the girls it looked like I was obsessing. And truthfully, I was. Every time Edward even swayed slightly, I was rushing to this side. When it was time for another pain pill, I didn't give him time to argue, I just handed it and something to drink to him, standing there till he swallowed it. I had confiscated the keys to the Volvo, daring him to argue with me about not driving. I made him sit on the bed relaxing while I packed up our room. He was not allowed to help in anyway. When he sat up to fast, I rushed to his side, waste basket in hand when he got sick, doing everything I could to help ease his suffering. I was in full mother hen mode and I had no way of shutting it down, at least not while we were still so far from home.

Emmett and Edward were instructed to return to headquarters for a debriefing around two. Even though I knew he was safe with Emmett, the separation did not help my anxiety. I knew it was getting bad when I had a hard time even allowing him to slip into the bathroom with the door closed. The look Edward gave me after he came out was one of complete worry for me. He knew I was hovering, but I think he also knew I had to right now. I had to constantly know that he was alright. Last night could have been much worse and he was allowing me the time I needed to deal with my emotions of seeing him hurt.

So while they were gone, the rest of us went down to the hotel gym to burn off some steam. Alice, Rosalie and I all got onto treadmills, while Jasper decided to focus on weights. I started off at a brisk jog and quickly everything around me seemed to fall away.

I never understood why people liked to put mirror's in gyms, but as I ran all I could seem to stare at was the girl in front of me. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Loose strands were falling out ever so often as she pounded the machine. I watched as the sweat trickled down her chest, arms and neck soaking her shirt. The muscles in her legs bunched and flexed with each step she took. Her skin was flushed red from exertion but she continued, faster and faster. Finally I glanced up at her face and saw the a set of lifeless eyes staring back at me. Dark purple circles marred the skin underneath and they seemed as though she looked on the verge of falling apart at any second. And then I saw her bottom lip trembling. She was trying to prevent herself from breaking down and just falling apart. In that instance I recognized that woman, it was me.

Instantly Rosalie, Alice and Jasper were at my side as the sobs started. My legs felt like jello as Alice stopped the treadmill while Jasper supported my weight, slowly lowering me to a sitting position. Once seated, Rose wrapped me up in her arms, whispering something to me that I couldn't quite make out. I was lost in my hysterics, babbling about loosing Edward. Once I had calmed down enough, we all went back to our rooms. I knew I had to pull myself together before Edward got back. This was not the time for him to be taking care of me, he was the one that was hurt not me. I needed to be the strong one right now.

As I showered, I couldn't help but feel lighter somehow. Everything had happened so fast last night. We were having such a good time just singing and dancing and then it all changed. Just that quickly Edward was whisking me away out of the club, throwing me into Emmett's Jeep and then racing off into a potentially very dangerous situation. Then to watch him emerge from the shadows bloodied and hurt, it was all just to much to handle anymore. I had fully expected to crash after the adrenaline wore off, but it took till I was separated again from Edward for the anxiety to finally hit.

Edward came back around three looking completely worn out and dejected. He told me that he had to practically beg the director to keep him on the case. He wasn't trying to punish Edward by wanting to remove him from the case, it was just all becoming to personal and he was afraid for how it would look when they did catch James and took him to trial. They wouldn't want to risk it being thrown out on a technicality. In the end Edward was left on but with strict guidelines. The director had also set a mandatory meeting back at head quarters every week until the killer was caught. Edward really didn't like this because it meant he would be separated from me for several hours, but he agreed to it anyway. The other alternative was not something he would have taken easily.

EPOV

After checking out from the hotel our small caravan of cars headed home around four. This would put us getting home around supper time so I called ahead and asked that everyone meet at my parents house for a family meeting. Emmett and I had decided that it would be a lot easier to fill everyone in on what happened yesterday and last night at one time, rather than having to tell the same story multiple times.

Bella hadn't pushed to know what had happened at the prison. I knew at the time it was because of my sour disposition when we met up with them at the mall. To say that things didn't go our way during that meeting was putting it mildly.

I was still suffering from a little vertigo from the blow to my head and my face hurt tremendously. The Tylenol-5 the doctor had given me made me so sleepy that I could barely keep my eyes open. This meant that Bella had to drive, which also meant we went the speed limit the entire way home. We made it back just at seven and my mother met us at the door. Rushing to the passenger side, she helped me from the car before wrapping me up into a long hug. After pulling away she stood there tenderly inspecting my face and head for several minutes before my dad came to join her.

"We just put supper on the table. How about we all go inside and eat something?" I watched as dad slipped his arm around my mom, gently easing her away from her inspection of me. Bella was at my side instantly wrapping her own arm around me, to offer her support.

"Let's eat, I'm starving," Emmett said before clapping his hands together in agreement. "You are always starving. Sometimes I wonder where you put it all." Rosalie teased him poking his ribs as they walked through the door. I watched as Alice and Jasper followed slowly behind them. From where I stood I could see Chief Swan standing just inside the foyer waiting for us. Wrapping my arm around Bella's shoulder I walked slowly up the stairs to my parents house to join the rest. This was going to be a long night.

*******

Supper was terrific. My mom is always so thoughtful. The doctor at the hospital had informed my dad last night about the extent of my injuries. So my mom took that into consideration. We had mashed potatoes that were so creamy they slid right now, no chewing was required; green peas and baby carrots that had been cooked with the roast so long the were practically falling apart on your fork; and a beef roast that was so tender and juicy it made your mouth water. The dessert was Bella's favorite chocolate gelato with caramel drizzled over the top. We ate until we were all about to pop. Sitting at the table, looking around, watching everyone silently sip at the variety of after dinner drinks, I couldn't help but feel terribly blessed. I had an amazing family. My small state of euphoria was interrupted as soon as Emmett leaned forward and called everyone's attention.

Emmett never beat around the bush much when it came to something important. He got that from Charlie. "So, we wanted to catch you all up to speed on everything that has gone on lately. I'm sure you've got tons of questions and Edward and I will try to answer them the best we can along the way." Emmett had decided that he was going to tell the majority of the story, so I just sat back and did my best to follow along.

_FLASHBACK_

_It wasn't a long drive to the prison from the hotel. So I didn't really have a lot of time to settle my nerves. Emmett and I were really counting on Caius Reynolds, James' father, being able to give us something helpful so that we could hopefully catch him. The director had gotten an agreement past the federal prosecutor to reduce Caius' sentence significantly if he agreed to help us. They figured drugs and guns were far less important than the massive amount of potential victims James was racking up. _

_Caius was looking at forty years in the state pen. He would be in his eighties before he could even see the possibility of parole. The prosecutor was willing to take twenty years off the top and give him the potential at early parole for good behavior, if he was willing to cooperate. We weren't really asking for a lot in the grand scheme of it all. Just some tips on James' behaviors, his mannerisms, favorite places to go, things like that. _

_After making it past the security check point, we headed to a small waiting room. Caius was brought in not long after and chained to the table. He wasn't at all what I had expected, but I could definitely see the family resemblance. We had only seen pictures of James' mother Jane. Apparently she was killed not long after entering the prison system. A suspect riot broke out in the cafeteria about a week after she had arrived. Word had gotten around that she was involved in a case of sexually abusing her child. Even among the worlds worst, child abusers were not welcome. _

_The riot was quickly broken up, but Jane was listed as missing. She was found two hours later stuffed in a garbage bin just outside the cafeteria, stabbed twelve times. To this day no one has been blamed for the murder. _

_Caius had a similar incident happen to him not long after he was transferred to the Seattle state pen. But he obviously survived. The man who was assigned to finish him off was beaten so badly he had to be taken to the local hospital for treatment of internal bleeding. This earned Caius a place of respect on his cell block. But only because he proved he could handle his own. I was sure it wouldn't be long before someone else tried to take him out. _

_As he took his seat in front of me I couldn't help but notice the way he looked at the folder I was holding. Emmett had decided that he would play the part of "bad cop" so he slowly started to pace the room, only stopping for a few minutes to lean against the wall. _

"_Mr. Reynolds I'm FBI Agent Cullen and this is my partner Agent Swan. We have some questions for you about a case we are working. We were hoping you would be of some help to us." Eye contact was important in meetings like this. You had to convey that you weren't intimidated by the person before you. If they saw fear they'd strike like a vampire ready to tear you apart. _

"_I bet you are. My Jamie has made a real mess for you to clean up after, huh?" He made a sucking sound at the back of his teeth like he had something stuck and he was trying to get it out. So he was going to make this difficult, he was going to make us work for the information that we wanted. That was ok, I could do that. But I still had a few cards that I wasn't willing to show just yet. _

"_Yeah you could say your BOY has made a pretty big mess." Emmett leaned against the brick wall, arms crossed, waiting for the opportunity to play with him a bit. "Apparently he's been fucked up in the head since he killed his little sister and he's been taking it out on more and more women." I watched out of the corner of my eye as Emmett leaned against the edge of the table towards Reynolds. "What's the matter with him? Can't he get it up unless a woman's screaming? I thought you taught him better than that." _

_I knew Emmett was baiting Caius. He was a very proud man and taking pot shots at his training of one of his sons wasn't going to sit well with him. When someone because angry they tend to lash out, saying the things that are on the tip of their tongues, sometimes saying more than they should. Being a trained profiler Emmett knew how to draw this kind of stuff out. _

"_My son knows exactly what he's doing. The little whore's he's choosing deserve to scream." Caius' jaw was clinched tight as he continued. "When he chooses to lay with a woman he knows how to please her. He only brings true pleasure to those that deserve it."_

"_You mean like your daughter," I said as I pulled the crime scene photo out of his youngest child. Her throat was sliced open from ear to ear, nearly taking off her head. _

"_She got what was coming to her. That little bitch caused me nothing but problems since the day she was born. Do you know I tried to mate her with four men? I finally had to hand her off to my oldest boy to break. She just refused to do what she was told. And then the little bitch goes off an calls the "pigs" on us. Like you have any authority over me and my house." He dismissively shoved the picture back at me, finished with the topic. _

"_So if it's your daughters fault for all of this happening to you? Why is James continuing on with all of these women? What can he possibly gain?" _

_The look he gave me made me want to draw back away from him a bit, just to gain some distance from the leer on his face. "He's looking for something." He pressed his finger against the tip of his nose before pointing at me. Caius knew James had a deeper motive for what he was up too, but he wasn't going to be letting us in on it any time soon. So it would be a guessing game then. He was only going to give us so many pieces to the puzzle and then it would be up to us. A test of exactly how smart we are. _

"_Looking for something? Shit, what could he possibly be looking for when he's raping women? He's one sick fucker if you ask me." Emmett took his spot back against the far wall, waiting for Caius' response. _

"_Cops. It doesn't matter what division you are, you are all the same. You only look at the here and now. You don't look at the whole picture…from beginning to the present. Sometimes, the motive to someone's actions is right under your nose, you just have to look for it." _

_I looked down at my notes to give myself a moment to think about what he had said. The bigger picture, the beginning to the present. What could that all mean? _

_Opening the folder back up I pulled out the document from the D.A. "We've been authorized to offer you a rather substantial deal for your cooperation. If you give us the information we need to capture your son, then we'll set it up so that you actually have the chance to get out of here in this lifetime." I pushed the document forward for him to look over, but he paid it no mind. Instead he just leaned forward again towards me. _

"_How's your angel?" I couldn't hide the look of surprise on my face at his question. My angel, my Bella. How did he know about that? Emmett caught it too because he was suddenly at the table leaning towards Caius waiting for him to speak. "What did you say?" _

"_Your angel. That's what you call her right? Bella, isn't it? I bet she's as beautiful as her name. Do you have a picture? I'd love to see her." The way he licked his lips after that made my skin crawl. _

"_You shut your fucking face, you asshole," Emmett's fist slammed down on the table top, shaking everything on it. _

"_Oh that's right. I almost forgot. She's your sister too, right? Baby sister, if my memory serves me right, by only a few minutes. Let's see, so that probably means she's got long brown hair. You probably share the same complexion too huh? Does she have your eyes?" Caius was staring intently at Emmett. HE was baiting Emmett now, and Emmett was boiling over ready to erupt. _

_Standing up quickly, I grabbed Emmett and forced him back away from the table. It was taking everything I had just to move him a few feet. The guard in the room took a few steps closer, indicating that he would step in if necessary. I did my best to waive him off without letting go of the raging bull I was currently trying to corral. _

"_I think we are done here." Quickly I gathered up the paperwork I had brought in with me. I just knew he wasn't finished getting his pot shots in before we left. Caius took one last swing before we were able to get out the door. _

"_I hope to one day get to see the wings Edward. For him to have given them to her, she must have been pretty special. I hope she was well deserving." _

_I had to get us both out of there. Emmett was doing his best to get out of my death grip and I was holding down the bile that was rising in my throat as best I could. We quickly made it out through security, and out of the prison gates, down the road a little ways before I ordered Emmett to pull the car over. Quickly I jumped out and was throwing up on the side of the road by the time he had reached me. _

_Things had gone about as bad as I could have ever of imagined. We both knew what he was telling us towards the end. He knew about Bella, he knew about the tattoo. That could only mean one thing. James was in contact with Caius from the outside on a regular basis. We would have to get the prison records and a court order to monitor his phone calls from now on. _

_Things had just gone from bad to worse. Now James had a cheerleader egging him on. _

_END FLASHBACK_

Everyone sat in silence as Emmett finished the story. A tear fell onto the back of my hand pulling me from my memories. Bella was clinching her bottom lip hard, trying to stop the tears that were pouring down her cheeks. Reaching over I pulled her into my arms, doing the best I could to calm her fears. My heart ached, so I knew that Bella's was breaking at the news. I knew when we saw the girls that afternoon at the mall that she knew it was bad by the look on my face. But I guess she never expected it to be this bad.

I gave the break down of the events at the club. Charlie looked like he was about ready to take both of us out back and beat the crap out of us for having taken off like that after James. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Bella was deathly quiet when I told them about the phone call I got from what I thought was the director that night. Turns out that James had cloned the director's cell phone so that it only looked like him when he called, so he knew I'd answer. There was no way to delicately explain the picture message I got just after James hung up.

After hearing the whole story Bella jumped up, racing from the table to the first floor guest bathroom. You could hear her throwing up from the table while she sobbed. I started to go after her, but apparently I got up to quickly. I lost my footing and started to fall to the floor. Carlisle and Jasper however were fast enough to catch me before I landed, easing me back into my chair. I saw Esme slip into the bathroom and close the door but even that couldn't muffle Bella's sobs.

My heart was breaking. It felt like I was the cause of Bella's pain and that killed me. After about twenty minutes they both emerged from the bathroom clinging to one another. I slowly got up and made my way to Bella's side pulling her into my arms. She clung so tightly to me, like she would melt into me if she could figure out how. Softly she whimpered her request to go home, so I said our goodbyes before heading towards the door.

Charlie grabbed my keys and helped me get Bella into the backseat of his cruiser before I climbed in beside her. Emmett followed behind us in my car. They helped us get our luggage in before they said good night again, heading home together. It felt so good to be home, but we were both exhausted from the emotional roller coaster we had been on today. So we headed straight to bed after locking up. Bella climbed into bed fully dressed, not even having the energy to pull her clothes off. I grabbed a tee shirt of mine from my dresser and helped her undress before tucking her under the covers. I slid off my jeans, shoes and shirt deciding to just sleep in my boxers. Quickly, I climbed in behind her, pulling her into my body. I held her as the shaking began again. Her tears soaked her pillow as she drifted off into a fitful nights sleep.

Praying was a normal thing for me. God and I had a close relationship and we talked often. I talked to him on an almost hourly basis when Bella was missing and when she was found he heard my prayers of thanks every night for her return. Tonight he heard my pleas. Wrapping my arms tight around Bella, I begged him for answers, guidance and wisdom. I also prayed for strength, not only for me but for Bella as well. It had to get better soon.

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_A/N: You don't know what it took me not to cliffy this chapter. But I know sometimes it's just plain cruel to do that to you guys over and over again._

_I hope that I've answered the majority of your questions and tied up any loose ends along the way that I might have had dangling. If you have any questions that I've not covered the please feel free to ask me. If I don't answer in a direct reply I will try to address them in the coming chapters. This story is perhaps half way finished. But I warn you…the drama is really only beginning._

_It's like a roller coaster…we've not made it to the top yet in order for us to be in the home stretch. Thank you for being such faithful readers…and reviewers. It means so much to me those that take the time to review my chapter. Your thoughts often time will actually drive a chapter for me. So even if it's a short review please take the time to say hello. I read them all even if I'm slow to respond I do try to get back to you. _

_Wonderful Story Suggestions: _

_The Blizzard by sheviking_

_My Baby, Forever by PurpleScorpion_

_Uncomfortable True by Chase Corin_

_Such Great Heights by SydneyAlice_

_Love you all!!!_


	29. Chapter 29

**Twilight is owned in full by Mrs. Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown publishing. No infringement was intended in the creating of this story.**

_A/N: Thank you SO much to all of those that have taken the time to read my one-shot "How Prom Changed It All". It was an entry for a Crayola contest that LittleNessie12 entered and I really had a lot of fun writing it. I hope if you haven't read it and have a spare moment you will get to read it as well and tell me what you think??_

_Please forgive my errors, remember I do my best, no matter how far short of great that falls. Thank you so much and I love and appreciate you all._

_Oh and DEEDEE where are you???? _

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EPOV

The days after the Seattle trip seemed to pass quickly. Bella tried hard to focus all her time and energy on making the July 4th party extra special. Most nights she would run herself ragged, so that by the time we turned in, she would be asleep before her head hit the pillow. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be long after that the nightmares would start. They were always the same. Instead of me walking out of that alleyway, it would be Emmett carrying my body out, covered in blood. She'd wake up screaming, calling my name, drenched in sweat and sobbing.

After about a week of this, it seemed to start getting better. Instead of screaming, she'd wake herself up whimpering. Once she was awake and realized where she was, she'd just snuggle in closer to my back, draping her leg over my hip and her arm around my waist and fall back to sleep. She stopped talking about her dreams. "You know it's always the same one Edward, why keep rehashing it?"

For the first few days I was still on strict medical restriction, so I did most of the work that I had from my office at home. Bella came and went often, measuring for this or that. Delivery men showed up several times a day bringing something she had ordered online. Like clockwork every afternoon she'd call to me, "Edward, do you want to go outside with me for a little while?" Of course I'd never turn her down.

So after she would hover over me for a few minutes, getting me situated on the front porch, she would work on her garden bed. Jacob and Jasper came over late in the week to mow the yard and trim the hedges for us. There was no way she was going to let me work out in the heat of the day in "my condition." The only things I was allowed to do really was take out the trash, get the mail and the paper, and make the bed. Pretty much anything more than that she claimed was just to strenuous for me.

I allowed this to go on for about as long as I could stand it. I love Bella don't get me wrong, she means the world to me. But she was driving me nuts with how much babying she was doing. I swear she moved with the speed of a vampire. Whenever I'd get up from the couch, I didn't care where she was in the house, she would instantly be at my side, ready to catch me if I started to sway. If I went into the kitchen for a glass of water, she'd call to me from another room, "I can get that for you Edward, you really should be resting."

And even on those few occasions that I was allowed out of the house, like to get the paper or mail, she'd stand at the front door watching me till I came back. Part of me, the sore, tired hurt Edward from earlier in the week, really appreciated all of the attention. The other part of me, the fed-up, emotionally exhausted, deeply frustrated, wanting his wonderful loving old girlfriend back, was tired of all this nonsense. She was driving herself crazy trying to take care of everything herself and I swear she was trying to take me with her. The house, the party, herself and me, it was just all to much and I had to find a moment to sit her down and tell her so.

What I didn't expect from Bella was her relief when we finally did sit down and talk. It was only a few days before the party and I was supposed to go back to work tomorrow. I told Bella not to worry about supper, I wanted to call for a pizza and I didn't want to delay this talk any longer than necessary. Plus I wasn't sure exactly how she was going to take what I needed to say, so I didn't want her to waste a big meal.

The pizza arrived and we took that and our drinks into the den to relax. Of course relaxing for Bella meant flittering around the room fluffing my pillows, making sure the temperature was just right, getting me a blanket incase I got cold, getting coasters for our drinks, getting plates and napkins. She was bouncing from one spot to the next so quickly that I finally stood and just caught her mid motion. I pulled her in tight against me, stilling her movements. I gently sat her down on the couch facing me, taking her hands before I began to speak.

I wasn't really sure how to approach this diplomatically and yet keeping a very sensitive tone to it. I didn't want to hurt Bella, ever. So I decided to take a page out of Emmett's play book and dove head first in. "Bella this has to stop. You are killing yourself trying to take care of everything and everyone and you can't keep doing it. Baby, I'm a big boy, if I want a glass of water I can get it. You don't have to rush to my side every time I get up from sitting somewhere. I can do more around the house than get the mail and take out the trash." I knew she was trying hard to hear me out and not allow her emotions to take over before I had a chance to finish. "Bella you had Jacob and Jasper mow our yard. Believe it or not I was actually looking forward to doing that. Bella, I love you, but part of loving you is also knowing when to stop you from…well, driving yourself and me nuts."

I braced myself. Tears I could deal with, I hated them especially coming from Bella, but I could handle them. Yell and scream at me for being a ungrateful oaf. I could take that too. But quiet resignation, I never expected that. And I didn't know what to think of it. Had I hurt her feelings?

"You are right, Edward. I've been a maniac the past week. I've been all over you… and not in a good way," she gave a slight smirk at me. I tried to hold my smile back, this was her time to talk and my turn to listen. "Honestly I thought it was the right thing to do at first. But then I got so carried away I couldn't stop myself after a while." She gently took both of my hands in hers gently rubbing her thumb across my knuckles as she continued. "I'm so sorry Edward. I never meant to make you feel like I didn't think you could do things. I was just so worried about you after that night. Every time you swayed, even just a little bit, I became anxious that you were in more pain than you were letting me know." She slumped back against the couch, snuggled into my side.

"And you're right, I'm tired," she said as she rubbed her eyes. "We've got the party in a few days, you've got work tomorrow, the stupid drapes that were supposed to come yesterday still hasn't arrived, the patio furniture is coming tomorrow - I've got a list as long as both my arms put together of things that need to get done." Her lips puckered in the most adorable pout. I just couldn't help myself, so I leaned down and gave her a well deserved, curl your toes kinda kiss.

Pulling away slowly I took a couple of deep breaths, "Bella you're amazing, never forget that. And if we are one chair short of a full patio set, or if none of the drinking glasses match the other ones, or if God forbid it rains that day, everything will work out perfect. Do you know why?" She licked her beautiful pink lips shaking her head as she continued to gaze at me. "Because at the end of the night, we'll still have all of the people we know and love at our side to celebrate our love with us. People who would be just as satisfied with delivered pizza," I motioned towards the large pizza still sitting on the coffee table in front of us, "as steaks. They love us Bella, and all the frills in the world won't mean a thing to them if we aren't happy."

As she looked up at me with her sad, tired brown eyes I knew she heard me. She didn't just hear the words but really took them to heart. There were no tears, no temper tantrums or accusations of me being ungrateful for all her time and attention. No the only thing she said afterwards was, "Would you mind if we ate our pizza in bed and watched a movie? I feel like it's been forever since we just sat back and relaxed."

We both laughed. It was such a simple request, but one I was truly looking forward too. As Bella grabbed the pizza and headed upstairs, I locked up. It was going to be a good night.

June was quickly coming to a close and it still felt like we were getting no where fast on the Reynolds case. After I was finally cleared to resume work, Emmett and I spent three whole days pouring over everything we knew about the case. He had convinced himself there was something we were missing. It was like that feeling, when you have something on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't seem to think of it. When I walked into the conference room at Forks PD Tuesday morning, he was leaning against the table, staring at the wall. The following night we had taped pictures up of all of James' known victims and pictures of all of James' suspected victims. Emmett was staring at it like one of those pictures with the hidden image. If you focused on it long enough, it would finally pop out at you. I didn't want to break his concentration, so I quietly set my messenger bag down in a chair and propped myself up next to him.

"Have you noticed anything unusual about these women?" We had thought about their connection several times. It was part of how we came up with James' "type" so that we could warn the public. All of the women were petite, dark hair that went at least past their shoulders. They were normally in their mid to upper twenties. On the outside they looked like everyday run of the mill women. They held steady jobs, had lives of their own, most had family but not overly large ones. Aside from that I couldn't really see what he was driving at. The only time he had strayed from this type of woman was Victoria. And she was so far out in left field we knew it had to be a random, heat of the moment, killing. Victoria had fire red hair, she was 5'10 and had just turned thirty-two.

"I keep thinking back to what James' father kept saying, about going back to the beginning. It made me wonder if he was talking about more than just the beginning of the killings, but rather the beginning of James himself." Turning around he started going through the scattered papers on the table looking for something.

"We always thought that his sister was the start to all of this. What if she was only half the reason he started killing? What if she was his first taste of what it was like to kill, but it was something, or should I say someone else that drove him towards a certain type of woman?" I was following him so far, and it seemed reasonable.

"So your saying that there is someone in James' past that we missed. Someone so significant that it triggered him to look for a certain type of woman?" Emmett was nodding his head up and down like a bobble-head doll. He knew I was following him and apparently wanted to see if I'd travel down the same rabbit trail he was on already.

"What are you looking for?" There were so many papers strewn out on the table, if I knew what he needed I might be able to help him.

"This," he said with a huge grin on his face as he pulled a large manila folder from the pile. The front of the file had a seal of a juvenile court of California on it. He began to flip through it looking for a specific page, as I pulled out a seat beside him. "Whose file is that anyway?" I said, trying to see the edge of it where some of the general docket information would normally be. "Well honestly I don't know. Since it was a case involving minors they had originally sealed the records. I had to get a court order just to get this much." Apparently he found the page he was looking for because all of a sudden he set it down in front of me and began reading it too me.

"During the raid on the compound several minor children were taken into custody by child protective services. It was later found that not all were of blood relation. At least five of said children have been returned to their birth parents in other states. After interviews were completed it was revealed that these five children in question were in fact "wives" of several of the men taken into custody. Marriage ceremonies were conducted by the head of the organization Caius Reynolds. The legal bindings of said marriages have been deemed by the district court null and void, as most were entered into when the children were only minors (ten years of age)."

_Ten years old and married off to a total stranger._ I couldn't help but shutter as Emmett continued to read. "Most of the minors had children themselves. When they were returned to their blood relatives services were offered to either help them find homes for said children, or to help them better acclimate to life raising a child. One minor in particular was found to be about eight months along into her pregnancy at the time of the raid. The Reynolds minor was returned to her birth parents and her record is hereby sealed by the state of California."

_Reynolds minor? But there was only one daughter born to Caius and Jane, so this must mean she was a wife to one of the boys. Is it possible James had a wife?_

"Is there not a picture of her?" I reached for the back pages of the file and started to flip through them eager to see what she looked like.

"No, unfortunately not. Just this description, but I think it says all we needed to know for right now don't you?" As he passed the large file over to me, I saw the details and it was like a light bulb went on inside my head. Suddenly all of the pieces started to fall into place. She was sixteen at the time of the raid. Her physical description was what interested me the most; petite, 5'4, long light brown hair, fair complexion, green eyes.

This was James' wife and since he couldn't have her again he was trying to find her in another woman. But somehow, each one was always turning up having fallen short, until Bella. That was why he marked her with the angel wings and not anyone else. She was the closest to what his wife had been. That's why he didn't kill her, he had intended to keep her.

Looking up at each photo it made complete sense. Each woman matched the physical description of the very first. Caius was right, all we had to do to understand how it all began was go back to the beginning.

BPOV

July 4th rushed up on us before we knew it. Edward got up early that morning to help me make sure that all of the party preparations were in order and to start setting up. Everyone had an assignment to bring something, so really it was just a matter of waiting for everyone to start showing. We had planned a very long day of just hanging out as family and friends and just kicking back and relaxing. We had games set up like cards, board games and even a round of water polo. Then of course after the barbeque, once it got dark, there would be the town's fireworks. I was so excited to see everyone.

It was turning out to be a fine day, warm but not overly hot for early July day. I was hoping it wouldn't get so hot that it became uncomfortable. Everyone that wanted too was told to bring their bathing suits since we had such a large pool. Plus there was sunbathing for those interested. Our neighbors Irina and Demitri were bringing their son Aro. A couple of nights ago on his way home Edward had gone out and bought one of those water elephants that you hooked up to a water hose. It's trunk would flip around in all different directions shooting sprays of water everywhere for him to run and jump through if the pool was to much for him.

That night, before supper, Edward came bounding down the stairs in only his board shorts carrying the boxed toy. He heard me clear my throat to get his attention, just as he stopped at the back door. Turning around he looked down at the box and then sheepishly back at me, "What? I have to make sure it works before he gets here, right?" With that he sprinted out the back and I burst out laughing. I swear Emmett was starting to wear off on him.

People started arriving around ten. Once Carlisle got there with the steaks and chicken, Emmett with the charcoal and drinks - Edward and I were supplying the hamburgers and hotdogs - we prepared everything to start cooking. All together we had planned on about fifteen people showing up. Several of our friends from La Push were coming and of course our new neighbors from across the street. It was shaping up to be a really great day.

All of the ladies were rushing around doing side jobs while we left the men to hover over Edward's new grill. I was watching from the kitchen window as Edward explained to Emmett how a particular feature worked. At one point Emmett reached out to touch something on it and Edward actually popped his hand with the spatula causing Emmett to scowl at him. This was the happiest I had seen Edward in weeks, which of course made me happy.

Around noon, once everyone had arrived, we sat down and ate like a family. It was a mixed family but a family none the less. Jacob and Leah road along with Sam and Emily. Embry, Quil, Claire, and Seth showed up a little bit later. Billy even came and threatened to show Emmett exactly who was boss at poker later if he didn't "chill out" as Billy put it. When it came to parties my big brother could be as hyper as Alice, and that was saying a lot. He was just so full of energy. I wanted today to be all about fun, no talk about the case, no worries, nothing but happiness. But of course things always have a way of taking a down turn at just the wrong moment.

After lunch we all had chosen various places to lounge around for an hour or so before starting the games. Alice suggested that all of us girls go into the house and get changed into our swimsuits. As everyone else got up and proceeded to grab their stuff, I stayed where I was seated, lounging back in Edward's warms. "Love, don't you want to go change too?" His arms tightened slightly around me as he spoke but I just shook my head. He gently pushed my hair back over my shoulder as he gently kissed my neck. I watched as Emmett made his way slowly around the edge of the pool towards us. I knew I wouldn't get away with not participating. My big bear of a brother was not about to let me hide.

"Come on Bells. I want to play a game of chicken. You don't want to make Edward have to sit out just because he doesn't have a partner do you?" He was hitting below the belt and by the way he looked up at me through his eyelashes with that puppy dog pout, he knew it too. I didn't want to change out of my clothes. I was comfortable in the shorts and tee-shirt I had on. I didn't want to prance around in some skimpy, revealing, bathing suit. But I also didn't want to hamper Edward having a good time either. So reluctantly and with a murderous glare cast at my goof of a big brother, made my way up to my bedroom to change.

As I sat on the bed, clutching the new bathing suit I had purchased, I could hear several of the girls talking and laughing as they passed by the bedroom door on their way back out. I was so torn over how to act. On the one hand I really did want to be just like everyone else; laughing, having a good time, not giving anything a second thought about anything, but rather just enjoying the day. But as I looked down at my bathing suit, my anxiety in the moment started to take over. If I wore this suit they would all see the tattoo. There was no way I could hide it really. I pulled off my top and stood in front of the triple mirrored vanity. As I turned the mirror slightly I could see the tattoo staring back at me.

Reaching around I gently touched the tops of the wings that finished right above my shoulder blades. I was so lost in moment that I didn't hear Emily as she eased into my room. "Bella." Her soft voice called my name breaking me out of my concentration. I gasped and quickly gripped the shirt to my chest to cover myself. I still had on my bra, which really was about the same amount of covering my bikini would have offered, but I still felt self conscious . "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She looked so sad as she said that. Immediately I felt bad for reacting as I had. Emily was one of my dearest friends. She and I had always been close growing up. "It's ok, I didn't hear you come in."

Emily walked slowly over to the edge of the bed and sat down. She reached over and picked up my bathing suit. "Edward is going to love this on you," she said, with a grin, her perfect white teeth shining back at me against her beautiful bronzed skin. "Yeah, probably," I mumbled as I looked down, picking at my nails.

"Bella, are you ok?" Her worried expression was not helping my mood. I didn't want pity for my situation. It is what it is. I had to accept that. Having others feel sorry for me wasn't going to change a thing. "I don't want to wear that. I don't want to go out there." Biting my bottom lip gently I whispered, "everyone will see."

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**__**A/N: I LOVE animals and I mean no disrespect to the breed of dog mentioned in this section nor any of their owners. Also there is some mention of violence and animal treatment (that some would consider abuse even in the described situation). No offense is intended by this section…please skip this if the description of Emily's injuries is too much for you to handle. It involves an animal attack.**_

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Emily sighed as she offered me her hand. Pulling me down beside her, she wrapped her arm around me resting her head on my shoulder. "Do you remember when I got these scars?" Her right arm was extended in front of her. From the tip of her middle finger all the way up to the top of her shoulder, Emily had light pink scars scattered all over. Some were very deep, some superficial. The further up you got the deeper they went, until you got to her face. From the bottom of her lower right lip down to her shoulder blade there were four long gashes that adorned her otherwise perfect skin. I remembered that day all to well.

It happened when she was eleven years old. Emily had just been dropped off by the school bus at the end of her lane. The bus hadn't even pulled out of sight yet before she heard the growls rushing at her. A neighbor at the end of the lane had a pit-bull that normally rushed the gate whenever Emily got off the bus, so she didn't give the growling a second thought. It was normal. The dog always acted that way towards anyone that came close to his masters house. Unfortunately in this instance the dog had somehow gotten loose. It was on top of Emily before she even had a chance to prepare herself for the impact.

Thankfully, one of the kids on the bus had seen the attack and gotten the driver to stop. After giving stern orders to all of the kids to stay on the bus, the driver raced to Emily's aid. Unfortunately the dog had already clamped down on to Emily's arm by the time the driver got to her. He kicked the dog as hard as he could, stunning the animal. This gave him just enough time to scoop up Emily's broken and bleeding body and run back to the bus.

Because some of the Quiluette children lived so far out into the country the school had issued cell phones to all of the drivers. That way if they ever broke down, they could easily call for help rather than wait until they were "missing" because the children hadn't shown up for school. After laying a sobbing Emily on the empty front seat, the driver called the emergency room in Forks to tell them the situation. Everyone on the bus was either sobbing or sitting in shock over what they had seen.

Thankfully due to the drivers quick actions, Emily's arm was able to be saved. But she endured months of physical therapy and even had to go through a series of rabies shots. The animal was put down before tests could be run on it to determine if it was rabid. But Emily was brave. She never looked at her scars and thought they were ugly. She looked at them as a sign that she was tough enough to go through something that traumatic and come out on top. She wasn't about to let it get the better of her and get her down.

"Bella, am I ugly because of my scars?" I was shocked she would ever say something like that. No one had ever even dared to hint that Emily's scars made her anything less than the beautiful person she turned out to be. So for her to even say something like that stunned me. After finally finding my voice, I prepared to defend her, even against herself. "Of course not Emily. You had no control over what happened that day. How could you even think that?"

She pulled back and looked at me thoughtfully, allowing my words to hang in the air a moment before asking, "How much control did you have over your situation, Bella?" I opened my mouth to comment but stopped short. She was right, I knew it. I walked right into that one. She had defeated my argument with my own words. Hanging my head in shame she wrapped her arms around me hugging me close. "Bella, our scars don't make us ugly. They're a sign of what we have survived. A story about the path that our lives have taken, both good and bad. If you look at your tattoo as a sign of something ugly, then you'll always be held under that monster's control." I knew she was right, but that didn't stop the tears as they fell. "Bella, you are a woman to be admired. You've got a heart that is so full of love. Even your spirit whispers a gentle and tender nature. Don't allow that _man_ to affect one more thing in your life. Don't allow him to change you."

"Now," she paused, smiling at me, "are you going to get ready, or am I going to have to go downstairs and get Edward to come strip you down?" I couldn't help but laugh, even after the somber moment we just had. She wiggled her eyebrows at me suggesting what Edward stripping me down would mean. As our laughs died down she added, "Bella, no one's going to judge you because of that tattoo. Besides even if they did, you know the guys would beat the crap out of anyone that said anything negative about it."

I knew she was right. I was the little lamb in our family. Everyone, even tiny Alice, would defend me to the death if the situation ever called for it. Grabbing my suit I headed to the bathroom to change.

By the time I was done Emily had already left for the patio. Grabbing the sarong I had matched with the suit, one of Edward's tee-shirts and slipping my flip flops back on I headed back down to the pool. I watched Edward sitting on a lounge chair, running his fingers through his hair as Emily spoke to him. A moment later he was rushing to my side, pulling me into his arms into a bear hug. Stepping back he held me at arms length to look at me, "You look gorgeous Bella." I blushed, my face flooding with color. I knew Edward was bias, he would think I looked gorgeous in a potato sack. His comments always had that effect on me. He always knew exactly what to say to make me feel beautiful.

Taking my hand and squeezing it gently to show his support, he led me back to the lounge he had been sitting on. We passed by Carlisle and Esme who were sitting with Irina and Demitri playing gin. Sam was sitting at a table with Seth apparently creaming him at checkers. No one said anything as we passed by. They didn't even stop long enough to look up. They were probably just trying to be polite by not staring.

"Hey little sis, you game for a little chicken fight?" Emmett called to me from the edge of the pool, grinning at me and waggling his eyebrows in challenge. But I knew he was smiling at me because he was proud of me too. Looking around, I could see all of my friends and family smiling back at me with so much pride in their eyes. Turning around and taking a deep breath, I reached down and pulled off my sarong, tossing it on the lounge. I knew the tee-shirt had to come off too, so I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. Slowly I lifted Edward's shirt over my head and dropped it to the lounge beside me. Edward had kicked off his flip flops and shirt before I started. Grabbing for his hand I waited a moment for the gasps, but they never came.

Turning around and looking at those that I held dearest to me I realized something. They didn't look at me and see anything other than Bella. I was allowing my tattoo to control me and cause me to feel less about myself. And as long as I did that I was allowing James to continue to win over me.

As I squeezed Edward's hand, giving him a big smile, that I knew he could tell finally reached my eyes, I answered Emmett's challenge. "Hell yeah big brother. You are going down." Pulling Edward with me, I dove into the water allowing it to wash away my fears… _at least for one day_.

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__A/N: I struggled with how to end this chapter. I tried hard not to cliffy it, so I kinda cut it off a little short. I know it came out a bit fluffy and sugary sweet towards the end but I hope you will all forgive me for that. I'd love to know what you think so far of this chapter and my story. _

_I'm sure there is something I'm wanting to say but forgetting too…_

_Thank you so much for sticking with me and being so patient as I get these chapters out. _

_You all are the best!_

_Story Suggestions:_

_The List - by Jayeliwood (Bella has just turned 30 and thinks her life is going no where fast so she makes a list of some of the things she'd like to do in life. Plus there is English Edward…yum)_

_The Blizzard - by sheviking (Oh my god if you haven't started this story you must read it. I love every second of it…even Homelessward is dreamy._

_And a new find for me… The University of Edward Masen - by SebastienRobichaud (Edward is a bit of an ass part of the beginning but oh my gosh he's drool worthy once he softens up a bit)_

_Hope you enjoy!_


	30. Chapter 30

**Twilight is owned in it's entirety by Mrs. Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown publishing. NO Infringement was intended in the creation of this story. **

_A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out. I really struggled with it, and in the end it's probably pretty mediocre anyway. When it comes to describing sex scenes I just don't have the talent of a Jayeliwood, sheviking or even a SydneyAlice…and some other very well-known, very talented authors. So…forgive me if it comes out sounding a lot less than hot and steamy. For some reason I do the sick and twisted much better…lol I hope that doesn't say anything about my personality LOL. _

**JamesPOV**

_I can't believe that son-of-a-bitch shot me!_

Leaning gingerly on my crutch, I hobbled over to the chair. The pain in my leg was like having a hot poker constantly driven into my body. How Fuckward managed to get a shot off, much less actually hit me, is beyond me. But I had the gaping hole in my thigh to prove it. It had been a week since that night and it still burned like hell. If you've never had to take a bullet out of your own leg before, I don't suggest trying it. It hurts like a motherfucker. Thankfully it wasn't too deep in, so it was fairly easy to dig out.

Actually I was very fortunate I wasn't caught by that big ape of a partner of his. Between the shock of being hit, and trying to cover my tracks, I barely made it around the corner of the building without being seen. But I drew plenty of attention from passers-by as I made my way to my hidden car. Plus I was leaving a blood trail like a stuck pig.

I broke into a small pharmacy before leaving Seattle to get all of the necessary supplies I thought I would need to treat my leg. There was no time to clean up all of the finger-prints and blood splatter that I was leaving behind me. So I did the next best thing. On a clean, white, pristine wall I wrote a message to the fucking FBI in the only thing I had on me to write with. My own fucking blood.

"I'm not finished yet!"

By now they would have found it, and cataloged it along with all of the other pieces of information they had but just couldn't seem to pin on me. They really were stupid. FBI should stand for Fucking Babbling Idiots, if you asked me.

Shifting my bum leg a little to get more comfortable, I reached for the bottle of pain pills before chasing them down with a large shot of whiskey. I toasted the picture I had on my work table of my mother and father when me I was younger, "What doesn't fucking kill you only makes you stronger." Before tossing back another large gulp. As it burned its way down my throat the monitors in front of me flickered to life.

Off and on throughout the past week I had been entertained watching Fuckward and his little whore playing house. They'd pretend to be the perfect couple, playing around in the kitchen while making dinner together, or I'd watch as she tucked his lazy ass in as he sat on the couch. He was really milking his little head wound for all it was worth. I did have a small consolation however. Cullen wasn't gettin' any just like me.

Every night she would be so tired that they would fall right into bed and pass out. Of course there was his regular "make-me-gag" spooning every night, but his cock was just as blocked as mine was. Serves the little shit right, if I wasn't getting any neither should he.

My bought of happy thoughts were interrupted as I watched Isabella walk into her bedroom and sit down on the edge of the bed. It looked as though she was clutching what must be her swim suit. I could never tire of watching her get undressed. Each item removed revealed a delicate layer of porcelain skin that I longed to touched again. It made my cock twitch just thinking about it.

It wasn't long before one of those girls from the reservation followed her in. I didn't know her name but it was the one with those god awful scars up and down her arm and face. How she could stand to look at herself was beyond me. Plus how she managed to get a husband looking that way, I'll just never understand. The big Indian, I think his name was Sam, was married to her. But he was a freak too so I guess they just fit together. That whole pack of guys were freaks including the tall blonde one, Whitlock.

Looking at them you would think they were gang members or on steroids or something. They were all huge. Three of them had long, jet black hair and almost their entire upper bodies were covered in tribal tattoo's of different shapes and sizes. Isabella's friend Jacob had a massive wolf howling at the moon with a tiger curled up against the neck of the beast on his back. If I didn't know he was the asshole that gave Fuckward access to my picture, then I would have thought his tattoo was pretty cool. God knows it made him look sexy as hell.

Reaching over I turned up the sound apparently just as they were finishing their little talk. I watched as Bella gracefully walked into the bathroom and stood before the mirror.

_Take it off baby, nice and slow. _

The angle of the camera was tilted just right so that I could see her entire front. With the camera in the shower I could catch her back as it was revealed. I could feel my cock pressing into the zipper of my jeans begging to come out. As she reached for the hem of her shirt, I reached down and opened my jeans. As it slid over her, I slid my pants down my legs. Her delicate fingers toyed seductively with the clasp at the front of her bra, teasing me. I gripped my cock stroking it as she danced for me. Each sway of her body was a slow seduction I knew was only for me. Her breasts spilled out of the cups as she let the bra open. I could practically feel my mouth filling with moisture as I remembered back to the way those perfect rose buds felt in my mouth. The way they tightened as I sucked greedily at them. Even when she was unconscious I could tell she was enjoying it. What woman wouldn't?

Her pants came off next. I watched mesmerized as her hips shimmied the shorts down her long legs. My only regret so far was that I didn't take the time to do more than feel that beautiful pussy. If I had known she was going to give it up so willingly to that fucker, I would have buried myself balls deep in her and taken her first time for myself. Just thinking about it made me practically ache. I haven't been with a virgin since…

No I wouldn't think of her. I couldn't taint her memory, she was my first perfect angel. Isabella would be have to be my second to take her place. I watched as she finished getting dressed, covering up before leaving the room. Camera after camera followed her throughout the house till she was standing just at the back door. I saw through the last camera that fucker run to her and wrap his arms around her. My rage was building as he kissed her, touching her so intimately. I wanted to rip his arms off and shove them up his ass.

Sitting back I couldn't help but smile. They didn't know what I had planned for this month. I was going to remind Isabella that I was looking forward to our time together. And make no mistake she would be mine.

I didn't care who I had to kill to get to her.

**

* * *

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EPOV

It was several hours before the house cleared out, but finally we were alone. It had been a great day. Little by little, all day long, Bella had loosened up more and more about exposing her tattoo to everyone. And thankfully no one stared, no one asked questions. Everyone was conscious of the fact that Bella was nervous about it.

Emily had spoken to her before she came back down from changing and I could tell by the look in her eyes that it made an effect on her. When she pulled off her top, I confess, my eyes were at first drawn to her breasts cupped seductively in the royal blue of her bikini top. But my attention quickly turned to her face specifically her eyes. Bella's emotions were always very apparent in her eyes. As she looked at me I tried my best to give her strength through my smile. She was incredibly strong for facing her fears and I wanted her to know how much I admired her for that. When she turned around and addressed her brother, grabbing my hand in hers, I knew she wasn't going to allow her fears to ruin today for her.

It was going on ten o'clock and we were both ready for bed after a long day, even if it was a lot of fun. I had the next few days off due to the holiday and I wanted to spend it all with Bella relaxing around the house and getting some final things finished she needed done. Having just finished locking up, I trudged up the stairs to our bedroom. Bella was turned back to me when I opened the door so I walked up quietly behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She smelled so good, a mixture of sunshine and coconut oil. I kissed down her back, her skin was still warm from all of the sunshine she had gotten. Turning her around she wrapped her arms around my neck.

In that moment I felt like everything was perfect. Sometimes I caught myself waxing nostalgic, but I couldn't help it. There were times in my life when I just had to take a moment and realize exactly how good I really had it. I had a beautiful home, a great job, a huge family that I loved, and a beautiful fiancé wrapped in my arms. What more could I possibly ask for?

Bella lips seemed to be calling to me as I kissed her, running the tip of my tongue slowly along them, tasting her. The little moan that escaped from her sent shivers of desire through my body. Wrapping my arms around her tightly I lifted her up and slowly walked us towards our bathroom.

I didn't put her down until her feet were set on the plush rug at the foot of our tub. Reaching down I turned on the tap to warm the water for our bath. I even added the vanilla salts she liked so much to the water. Slowly we undressed one another. It seemed like electricity sparked between us every time we touched. She was so beautiful to me, her skin was perfect. Leaning down I kissed the tip of her nose that held a light dusting of freckles before stepping slowly into the tub. After settling in, I pulled her carefully in with me, sitting her in my lap as she relaxed against my chest.

Tonight I wanted to show Bella how much I cherished her in every way. Earlier in the day she had piled her hair up on top of her head in a ponytail that made her look exceptionally sweet. Gently I pulled the tie from her hair and allowed her soft locks to fall against my chest. As I started to slowly massage her scalp from where it held her hair so tightly, she began to softly moan out her appreciation of how good it felt.

I loved watching the hot water color her skin a soft pink. She ran her fingers slowly up and down the insides of my thighs making my body react appreciatively to her touch. The way she giggled told me that she could definitely feel how turned on I was and enjoyed making me more excited by the moment.

Slowly I lowered my hands from her hair, sliding them to her shoulders continuing the massage. She was slumped down just far enough that the water covered most of her breasts. It was mesmerizing to watch them rise and fall subtly as her breathing increased. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own and became more adventurous with each breath. Slowly my fingers began to graze the soft curves of her body under the water I loved the way the fullness of Bella's breast fit into my hand, perfectly shaped just for me. She was so soft, the perfect size filling my hands and the rose color around her nipples flushed whenever I touched her.

Her fingertips trailed delicately up my neck to my hair were she began to lightly scratch. My body was on fire long after the water around us cooled and we were quickly progressing to more than what our tub could allow. The way Bella wiggled against my body made me ache to feel more of her against me, to taste more of her. After we both quickly rinsed off, I grabbed for a towel to dry myself off before helping Bella step from the tub.

I ran the towel slowly along her body, pressing gently here and there, dabbing at the water droplets that trickled down her body. Her head fell back as she moaned allowing me a clear view of her neck. My lips immediately sought out the water that trickled between her breasts down her body. I needed her so badly. My erection was already throbbing as I brought her body flush against mine. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders as I gently lay her down on our bed.

Slipping slowly to the floor to kneel before her, Bella watched as I reached for the lotion on the bedside table. I started at her thigh and slowly worked my way down, by the time I reached her feet she was moaning softly and she had clamped her thighs tightly together. "Edward, I need you. Please baby." That was all the encouragement I needed. My cock was begging to slip inside of her warm body. Kissing my way along her calf up to her thigh, placing a soft kiss just at her hip bone, I continued upwards till I was pressed flush against her body.

I couldn't get enough of her body and I could tell she felt the same way about me. Her leg slid up my thigh hooking around my hip pulling me tighter into her. The heat from her core felt so good against my cock and it took everything in me not to grind myself hard into her body. The way she began to buck her body against me told me she wanted some relief and I wanted to give it to her. There was no way I was going to break away from her hold, nor did I want too, so I blindly reached for the nightstand drawer searching for a condom. Bella must have realized what I was looking for because she reached for my hand pulling it back toward her.

I watched as her teeth bit down on her bottom lip. The seductive way she looked at me from beneath her lashes had me ready to beg for a condom so I could be inside her. Her voice was so soft, if I hadn't of been right on top of her I'm not sure I would have heard her. "You don't need them anymore if you don't want them, Edward." _Not need them? I wanted to make love to my beautiful fiancé and she was saying I didn't need them? _

So I must confess that with the lack of blood flow running to my brain right now, it didn't immediately click as to what Bella was trying to tell me. But as soon as I felt her fingers wrap around my cock and her wet pussy lips graze my tip I quickly figured it out. Carlisle had refilled Bella's birth-control pills a few days before she had left the hospital and she hadn't been on antibiotics for a while. We didn't need protection anymore.

Once it dawned on me what she was trying to tell me I suddenly became a tad nervous. As my mouth claimed hers again she moaned into me, "Please baby. I want to feel you inside of me." Slowly and carefully I pressed forward into her hot, wet center, allowing her time to adjust. I swear I've never felt anything more perfect than this. We both moaned out in satisfaction as I buried myself deep inside of her. Reaching down I lifted Bella's leg further up so that it hooked over the crook of my arm. At first when she cried out I was afraid that I had pushed to hard or asked her body to bend in a way that it wasn't supposed too. But the way her nails raked up my back as she arched into me, pressing her chest into mine, I knew it was bliss and not pain she was experiencing.

"Oh god, Edward." As I began to move slowly in and out of her welcoming body, I felt the electricity again passing between us. But this time it was because I felt so completely wrapped up in her warmth. She was still so tight and so very wet. The soft sounds of hear sweet moans of pleasure and our bodies coming together filled my ears. It seemed the more she panted out my name the more it drove me to go faster. "Touch yourself, baby. I want you to cum with me. Please baby, I'm so close."

And I was very close. I could feel that tightening feeling inside me, and I knew I wouldn't last much longer.

BPOV

The heat from Edward's body was amazing. The room even seemed to be filling up with the heat we were producing. I slowly ran my fingers up and down his back as he slid in and out of me. I honestly thought the first time Edward made love to me was the most amazing time but this was easily it's equal. I've never felt anything quite like it really. When I wrapped my hand around his cock and brought him towards me I could feel his pre-cum on the tip. And when I brushed him against my pussy I swear it felt like energy was running between us. Is it possible for your insides to quiver? Because when we touched, skin to skin, I swear it felt like my very core shivered at the sensation.

We had yet to have unprotected sex, mostly because we weren't ready for a baby just yet and with me taking those antibiotics in the hospital, we knew protection was necessary. But enough time had passed since Carlisle had gotten me back onto the pill that we no longer needed condoms. I couldn't imagine that they would ever make that much difference when we were together. But after Edward slowly slid inside of me and my body readjusted to his size that was now buried incredibly deep, I cursed the darn things and swore we'd never use them ever again.

It felt amazing. It was like I could feel his heart beating through his cock. I had wrapped my legs around Edward's thighs thinking that was as close to him as I could get. I realized how wrong I was when he reached down and brought my leg up higher to the crook of his arm. He seemed to slip further in and at that angle he brushed against me in just the right way. I couldn't hold back the moan it out in me. Clinging to Edward I moved with him as he began to pump faster and harder into me. If I had been on the outside looking in I probably would have been embarrassed by my reaction to our love making. It seemed I couldn't stop calling Edward's name. Every time he pulled out it was like an involuntary reaction to say his name, like Edward was pulling that out of me.

I couldn't help but feel naughty, this was all so unlike me. Normally I am so shy and reserved and yet here I find myself wanting to scream out my needs and desires. I had to actually bite my lip to keep from begging Edward to fuck me faster, harder, deeper. It felt so amazing, and the sounds coming from our bodies as they came together, if possible, were making me so wet just listening to them.

Edward's mouth was everywhere on my body. When he wasn't hungrily suckling on my nipples, he was nibbling and kissing my neck. My entire body felt like it was being worshipped and savored. His hands were moving constantly too. When his mouth wasn't on my breasts his hands were there pinching and gently twisting my nipples. Every time his hand would slide down my hip, kneading my flesh I swear a trail of fire followed his fingertips.

Most times we were intimate we were just that, intimate. But tonight it felt like we just couldn't get enough of one another, we just couldn't get close enough. I could tell by the way Edward panted my name over and over in my ear that he was getting close. His request for me to touch myself nearly had me coming right then. Slipping my hand between our sweaty bodies I found my overly sensitive nub and began to run my fingertips lightly over it. Even with just the light pressure I was applying I felt my muscles clinch around Edward's cock, drawing him further into me. He hissed against my neck, "Oh god Bella, I love you."

My head was spinning, I was seeing spots in my vision so I closed my eyes completely losing myself in the sensation. "Edward…Edward…Edward," I moaned louder and louder the closer I got to my climax. "Come for me baby, that's it," Edward encouraged right before his mouth found purchase of my nipple against. As he sucked harder on my breast than he ever had before, I came screaming his name.

EPOV

Watching Bella as she came apart beneath me was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Even our first time together was nothing like this, this was better, this was more. As the walls of her pussy clamped down on my cock I knew I'd not be able to move inside of her much. But watching her writhe in my arms was such a stroke to my ego. I was making her feel this way and only me. No one could ever take that from me. And the more she called my name the bigger my ego, and well my cock, got.

I loved her breasts, I just couldn't get enough of them. When my mouth clamped down on her aroused nipple and Bella threw her head back screaming my name, I swear I was in heaven. There was no way she was going to walk away from our love making without a mark on her beautiful body from me. I hadn't intended on doing it but I just couldn't help myself. I sucked harder and harder pulling more of her breast into my mouth. Just when I knew I couldn't suck any harder I felt my cock explode inside of her and I had to release her breast in order to scream her name. I just couldn't hold that back any longer.

My body was shaking from the energy I had exerted, my arms felt like jello from leaning on them for so long. The shivers coming from Bella body pressed against mine sent tiny sparks of desire up and down my skin. Her fingers were lazily running through my hair soothing me into a feeling of sleepiness. I didn't want to hurt her by pressing all of my weight against her, so after nuzzling her neck a moment longer I began to move but didn't get far. Bella's legs wrapped firmly around my waist and her arms hugged my body tightly to her chest. "Don't, not just yet. Let me enjoy how this feels just a little longer, please." I could never deny her anything but I also couldn't bare the thought of making her uncomfortable. I shifted slightly to the side, laying on the mattress, never allowing our bodies to separate. I stroked her thigh as it hitched higher up my body pulling me into her. The shudder that passed through her body reminded me that in my haste to make love to her that I had forgotten to cover us up. Reaching down I wrapped the sheets around us.

BPOV

Shouldn't an orgasm be the same every time, or pretty close to the same? How is it possible that this time it felt ten times stronger, longer, better than the first time. I swear I saw spots this time, and I even had to remind myself to breathe after. Plus we were both so frantic to be with one another, much different than how we normally have made love. Even now Edward was being so gentle and loving holding me in his arms. Feeling him come inside of me like that made my head spin. To feel him pulsing inside of me, I just couldn't give up that feeling yet, so Edward settled onto the bed beside me so as not to pin me down. But even when he did have his full weight on me it was a welcomed feeling.

I could feel his heart beating against my chest, his breath fanned over my neck in hot bursts, his legs trembled against mine. Everything felt so special to me. I could feel him against me from head to toe. I loved that even though he wasn't as hard anymore that he still stayed inside of me. A slight shiver shook my body to which Edward quickly pulled the covers up over us. It didn't even dawn on me that we had just made love completely uncovered and open.

As his hand began to stroke my thigh I couldn't help the blush that flooded my face. I tried to look down quickly so he wouldn't catch it but Edward never misses anything. He brushed my hair back over my shoulder and began kissing my neck slowly causing me to moan into his touch all over again. I was never going to be able to get enough of this man. "What could you possibly be thinking of that would cause a blush to go all the way down to the tops of your luscious breasts?" The kisses he was peppering on my skin were not helping me to think straight. I was finding it very hard to find words just to make a sentence.

His fingers pressed into my back pulling me tighter against his body. Slowly he lifted my chin with his finger so that I had to look him in the eye as I spoke. "I guess I'm just thinking about what we just did." He hummed in pleasure and began licking my neck just below my earlobe, "Tell me more, beautiful." I was already dripping wet and the velvety smooth way his voice echoed each syllable only sent my body into overdrive. "I couldn't help realize some of the things I said while we were making love. God, I'm so embarrassed." Edward wouldn't allow me to hide my face, instead he gripped it gently between his large hands making me look into his eyes. "Baby you have no idea how turned on I am hearing you say those things." His hand slid down my back cupping my bottom and pulling me forward, "Does it feel like I didn't like hearing those things?" I gasped in surprise, he was already getting hard again, still buried inside of me.

Shyly I bit my lip and looked up at him through my lashes. I decided to test exactly how much he liked me talking like that, "Edward will you do something for me?" He was already beginning to grind against me much to my delight. "Anything for you my love, just name it." I ran my nails lightly down his back as he sucked gently on my collarbone, "Fuck me." He pulled back and looked into my eyes, his emerald ones turning such a darker shade of jade. A soft growl filled his chest before he spoke, "So fucking hot!"

EPOV

I was the first to wake the next morning, completely under protest, to a slow drizzle outside. My cell phone was sitting on the charger on my nightstand and it was ringing off the hook. The theme song from St. Elsewhere filling the room told me exactly who it was. Why in the world my dad would be calling at…well I was going to say 'this early in the morning' but I guess 10:00 a.m. didn't constitute early. I greeted my father as quietly as I could so as not to wake Bella, before easing out of bed and heading over to our balcony. As I leaned my head against the cool glass watching the rain drops trickle down, I listened as my dad requested that I stop by the hospital for a visit. Apparently he had something he needed to talk to me about and it couldn't wait.

"Dad, it's the day after the fourth of July, don't you ever take any time off?"

"I took a whole day off yesterday I'll have you know. Now don't waste your time making excuses, just meeting me here in an hour. Don't make me have to come looking for you, son." The tone of his voice, although playful was completely serious. At times he could be like Alice on hunt for a bargain at a sale, he would have tracked me down.

"I'll be there dad, but this had better be good," I whispered while looking at the creamy back of my beautiful girl, still peacefully sleeping in our bed. After flipping my phone shut, I had to fight with my bodies desire to crawl back into our bed and forget the call even happened. Instead I grabbed a t-shirt and some shorts from my dresser and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

After kissing Bella good morning and goodbye, before she rolled over and went back to sleep, I headed out to the hospital. It was going on eleven when I arrived and I had told Bella to plan on a late lunch as I really wasn't planning to stay long. Walking up to my dad's office I said hello to the usual nurses that had known me since I was in diapers. Some even stopped me to ask about Bella, which I really appreciated. Most of the staff had grown so close to Bella during her stay here. Being both the Chief's daughter as well as the soon-to-be daughter-in-law of the Chief of Staff, made her very well known among the entire staff. Plus, due to her constant case of clumsiness growing up, she had been in and out of the hospital for years and quite a few nurses held a soft spot in their hearts for her.

Once I finally made it to my dad's office I knocked on his door to gain his attention, rather than just burst in. He was apparently just finishing up on the phone as I entered, so he motioned me towards a chair in front of his desk to sit. Once he finished I looked at him expectantly. He just reached over to the front of his computer and held up a yellow post-it-note with red writing. I groaned once I recalled exactly what that meant.

"Dad, really you called me down here for that?"

"You are not going to put me off any longer Edward." I was sure that the dreaded yellow note had been stuck to my father's desk, taunting him, for weeks now. "It's just a few short, simple tests to run, and then we'll know what we are dealing with. Please Edward, your mother is even after me about this. I can't tell her no, you know that." It was true, my father was as big of a pushover to my mother as I was to Bella. He hardly ever told her no, and never said no when it was something she was adamant about.

Giving a heavy sigh I relented, but not before telling him I needed to call Bella and cancel my late lunch plans with her. He said it was fine and that he would meet me down in the gym area once I was finished. Dialing the house phone I was surprised when it took so many rings for Bella to pick up. "Hello?" Her breath came out in small pants which immediately made me begin to think very dirty thoughts. "Well hello to you too my love. Do I get to know what I need to be jealous over that has you panting this early in the morning?"

Her giggle filled my ears which made me smile, "Wouldn't you like to know tiger." The soft seductive way her voice came across the line went straight to my cock and I knew immediately she was teasing me. "You are a vixen you know that? Don't tease me Bella, it's hard enough to be away from you as it is."

"I was out getting the paper and had to run in to get the phone in time, that's all." I was surprised to hear that she had gone out of the house without me there. Since being released from the hospital, Bella hadn't felt comfortable leaving the house, even to step out into our own yard, alone. So to find she had not only gone out but also went to the road, which meant leaving the safety of our fenced in yard, was quite a big deal. "Bella, I'm proud of you baby. How do you feel?"

Bella knew exactly what I was referring too by asking that. We had talked about this the other night and she had swore that she was going to try to be more independent . Not because I was opposed to helping her as much as possible, but because I knew she missed her independence and didn't want to have to rely on me for everything. She didn't want to be afraid of her own home.

"It was…difficult at first. I know to most it would have looked stupid. I mean it took me five minutes just to talk myself into opening the front door, Edward." Her sigh of frustration told me she was disappointed that it took so much effort just for her to feel comfortable doing such a small task as going outside alone. But I got it. She was taken "outside" and so she associated not being protected with being vulnerable to another possible attack. Dad said that it was normal and that most victims went through it. Some overcame it, some didn't and allowed it to swallow them alive. Bella was not going to be someone who allowed it to win over her. She was determined.

"By the time I made it to the side access gate my hands were shaking so badly I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get the key in the lock. But the guard was sitting there not but a few feet away so that helped a lot." I sat quietly only adding an occasional comment here and there, trying my best to allow her to talk and get it off of her chest.

"It wasn't until I was walking back and I saw the front door getting closer and closer that I realized I had started to walk really fast. So I stopped in the middle of the drive and tried to collect myself before I went on. That is also however when I heard the phone ringing so I ended up running anyway. But it was a more than pleasant surprise that it was you on the other end." I could hear her smile through the phone as she finished. She was proud that she was able to recognize and take control of her fears. I just wish she didn't have those fears in the first place.

"So, when do I need to plan on you being home? I can make some sandwiches and soup if you'd like?"

I groaned again remembering why I had called in the first place. "Actually Bella that's why I'm calling. My dad thought he was being sneaky by calling me down here this morning. He wants to run some tests on me to see 'what's wrong with me'," I said while making little air quotes that she couldn't see me making. I half expected her to argue, to question what he was up too, to be worried, but once again she surprised me. "I think that would be wise Edward. I've been meaning to ask you to talk to him about that anyway. I can't have you risking your health Edward, and lately you've been showing signs that something is wrong. I'm worried about you baby."

I honestly thought I had been hiding it all so well from everyone. But hearing Bella voice her concerns over my health told me she had been far more observant than I had given her credit for. "Baby I guess that means you'll have to plan on eating lunch alone. If I know my dad he'll keep me here running every test he can think of until he's satisfied. But I'll definitely be there for supper so please don't plan on anything. We'll go out, ok?"

After settling things with Bella and arranging for an early dinner I walked, rather begrudgingly, down to the gym area where I knew my father was waiting. After two hours of physical stamina tests and him drawing more blood from my body than I'm sure even a vampire would have been satisfied with, I found myself once again back in his office awaiting the results. Sitting back down in the same chair I started off in I waited and watched. I watched as my father's face scrunched more and more. I watched as the line between his eye brows got heavier and deeper. Finally when his hand had gone up to rake through his hair for the hundredth time I couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "So am I going to live?" I jokingly asked.

Looking up from the file my father's face didn't register my joke, in fact he looked even more serious than when we had started all of this. "I'm not 100% positive of that answer son." It's hard to imagine what I must have looked like in that moment. He had to be kidding me right? I mean, hello, I'm twenty-seven years old for crying out loud. What do you mean you aren't 100% positive I'm not going to live? Before I could snap out of my stupor and ask him what he meant by that he continued. "Son, if these tests results are right, you have a high possibility of a heart attack in the very near future."

I wasn't completely sure what was said after that one phrase. I could tell he was still talking but all I really saw were his lips moving. I didn't really hear what he was saying. Those two words just kept running over and over in my head, "heart attack." Immediately I thought about Bella. A heart attack could leave me disabled, or god forbid I could die from it. Then where would that leave her? We are getting married, we are supposed to live to a ripe old age watching our babies and their babies and maybe even their babies grow. I am supposed to be around long after both of our hair turned white and spend my time constantly reminding Bella of how much I still desire her.

My dad had practically just told me my life was just cut short by fifty years. "Son. Son!" My dad's voice broke through my haze of despair, "Don't start thinking the absolute worst just yet." How could he say that? Weren't we already there with news like this? I had thought that the pains and shortness of breath I was having were just stress related. Not something serious like a possible heart attack.

"There are a lot of steps we can take to help prevent this from ever happening. There's exercise, lessening stress in your life, proper diet, and medication." Now I highly doubt that the stress factor will change especially until after this case is over, so I want to start you off on a simple blood pressure medication first. From what I see from the results that looks like it should be the easiest right now to control. But you've GOT to work on staying calm. Perhaps you and Bella could even take up some stress relieving exercises together. I'm sure with everything that's gone on with her lately she could use a good outlet for that as well."

My dad mentioning involving Bella in all of this had me panicking. "No dad we can't tell Bella. This would upset her to much. She'd probably even start to think this was somehow her fault and I can't have that."

"Son you can't be serious. You two are planning on getting married soon. Do you really think it's wise to start off that life not being completely honest?" Running my hands through my hair I knew he was right. "And what if god forbid something did happen to you and she were around, she'd not know of your condition and she wouldn't know how best to help. That can be even more dangerous than anything. Take my advice son, be honest and tell her about this. She is your partner, she needs to know."

Everything he was saying made sense, and in all honesty I completely agreed with him. But all I could think about was the look that would be on Bella's face when I told her and how devastated she would be. "How would I even start a conversation like that dad? How do I tell her without freaking her out?"

"Bella is a lot stronger than you sometimes give her credit for, Edward. Just know all of the facts about the situation, because you know she'll have questions. I can even be there when you talk to her if you'd like?" Dad was adamant about this and I knew that if I didn't willingly tell Bella about it he'd come up with some sneaky way for her to find out. He'd probably have the pharmacy call and have her pick up my prescription or something so she'd find out but he wouldn't have broken the doctor patient privilege. I knew I wasn't getting out of this. "Besides you know your mother is going to grill me about it when I get home and you know I can't stand up to her interrogation techniques for to long." His sly grin let me know exactly what he meant by that to which I had to answer with an "eww." That was way to much information.

It was going on one-thirty when we finished up so I headed over to the pharmacy to have my prescription filled. I failed to remember that Mrs. Cope worked as the town pharmacist. Now normally this wouldn't have been important but unfortunately Mrs. Cope, the dear heart that she is, was also the town's biggest gossip. There was no way I was going to be able to have my meds filled and be able to get home before Bella found out about it. This also meant that I had to ask that my dad meet up with me at the house sooner than expected or I'd never get through explaining this all to Bella before she completely lost it.

So after taking twenty minutes to have my request filled, which should have only taken ten, I made my way back to the house. I would have been done much sooner, but I swear I could hear Mrs. Cope on the phone to my mother asking her, rather coyly I'm sure she thought, if she knew why I was needing blood pressure medicine. And because of that little phone call, it didn't surprise me when my dad pulled up behind me, with my mom in the passenger seat, looking like she was ready to jump out of the car before it even came to a stop.

She rushed to my side, cupping my face in between her hands and muttering over and over again how she knew something was wrong and that I should have been taking better care of myself. But it wasn't her reaction that had me worried. It was the reaction of the woman standing just behind her in our doorway torturing her bottom lip with her teeth and wringing her hands like a dish towel. I silently cursed dear sweet Mrs. Cope, because I knew this reaction could be traced to a phone call I'm sure made not long after I left the pharmacy. Stepping away from my mom and walking quickly over to Bella I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. Her hands gripped my t-shirt tightly as I heard her begin to sniffle, "It's going to be ok Bella. I swear. Don't cry love, it will be alright."

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_A/N: Ok so I know I can't write lemon's to save my life but I hope if all of my wonderful readers just use your imaginations then it will come across ok. I know this update took a long time but I hope you are still pleased with it. _

_Big news on my part…I went back to school. I live in N.C. and the economy sucks big time in my area. So I figured I'm still relatively young (I'll be 33 this year) so maybe now is the time to make a change. Ok so it's one I wish I had made twelve years ago when I was still a youngen but, live and learn right? I'm going to be a teacher, which I'm very excited about. LOL and for those of you reading my story you'll be relieved to know I'm not studying to be an English teacher HA HA. I have far to many grammatical errors in my writing to ever go down that road LOL. But I would like to specialize in history, specifically American history. I love that subject. But anyway, wish me luck (I hope anyway.)_

_I will do my best to not make you wait so long for the next chapter. I will warn you however that the next chapter I have planned is not going to be a fun one. Let's just say that the torture picks up quite a bit and James is allowed to have a bit more fun before Edward can start cracking down on him. So just bare with me. _

_Thank you for taking the time to read this long note, and for constantly being so faithful with this story. To all you who have put me on author's note, or favorited storied me or anything like that; let me just say WOW that is an honor. Most author's say the reviews are what counts, but for me to see a pop up showing that someone is following my story is almost as good as a review. It tells me this story means something to you and you want to know how it ends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of my readers…you mean a lot to me._

_Love you all!_


	31. Chapter 31

**Twilight is solely owned by Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown publishing. No infringement was intended in the making of this story. **

_A/N: WOW Such an amazing response on my last chapter. Thank you one and all for taking a moment to share your thoughts on it. Several of you asked me, "Is Edward going to die?" Now seriously…ask yourself this question…would I do that? (smirk) Ok, so not really going to answer that question but you'll find out soon enough. Just know that I adore Edward, so… there. _

_Thank you for your continuing support. So now, on with the show._

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EPOV

Well that didn't go as bad as it could have. Bella had done everything possible to stay calm and collected while listening to my father explain my condition. Apparently the official medical name for what I had was pulmonary hypertension, which can cause high blood pressure. That wouldn't have been so bad by it self but apparently without my even realizing it, I was also prone to having mild anxiety attacks which could spike my blood pressure at a moments notice.

The more my father explained this the tighter the death grip Bella had on my hand became. I watched in pain as her bottom lip trembled. It took everything inside me to stay seated when the large pools of tears, that had been precariously sitting just on the edge of falling, finally fell from her eyes down her cheeks. "Baby, don't cry please. You heard dad, he said it is completely manageable by just making a few simple changes in my lifestyle and starting some blood pressure medicine. There's nothing to worry about."

The mortified look she cast me made me lean back slightly. She snatched her hands away and jumped up from the sofa, waving her hands frantically in the air. "Nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about? Are you insane as well as sick? I swear to god if you tell me there is nothing to worry about one more time than I'll…I'll…" She actually stomped her foot, she was so aggravated that she couldn't find her words. Whenever Bella got really frustrated, really angry, it was like her brain shut down and she couldn't put together exactly what she wanted to say. I knew she'd fight through it eventually and either find the words she was looking for to get her point across, or she'd take a moment to calm herself down.

My mom's constant questions to my dad about whether or not she did this to me weren't helping any. Apparently my mother's father, and grandfather both died of heart disease and both would have fallen under the terms of hypertension if they had been aware to look for those sort of things back in the day. It was hereditary and having it in the family did make me more prone to it, but I wouldn't allow my mom to blame herself because of it. There were several outside factors that were contributing to my case of it and most of them had nothing to do with my genes.

Walking over to Bella as she stood looking out our back patio, I couldn't stand the distance this conversation was causing us, so I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her back into me. Resting my chin gently on her shoulder she lay her head against mine, hugging me to her. "You are right. I didn't mean to demean the seriousness of this Bella. But I can't allow it to control me either. If I start constantly worrying about whether or not I'm aggravating my condition then I won't be living. And I absolutely refuse to miss one moment of happiness and excitement in our lives because of this." Turning her around slowly, I ran my fingers through her hair pulling her to me for a soft, sweet kiss. "I'll do everything that dad says to do. I'll take my meds like clock work, every day, I swear."

With her face buried in my chest, I could barely made out Bella's whispered plea, "I can't lose you Edward. I wouldn't know how to exist if you weren't there anymore." There was nothing I could say to prove to Bella that she wouldn't lose me, all I could do was just hold her as she composed herself.

By the time our talk was over it was getting late, so Bella and my mom went into the kitchen to put something together for a later supper. My dad and I excused ourselves out to the patio under the guise of getting some fresh air. Settling down in the nearby chairs I waited for my dad's response to the nights events. I knew it took its toll out on him as well by the way he sat holding his head in his hands.

"I honestly never thought they'd take it this hard. Esme and Bella have always been so sensible about things. They see things as challenges to over come, not stumbling blocks set before them to cause failure." "But when it comes to me, I'm everybody's baby." I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my face at my own comment. It was true, whenever something came up, I turned into the baby of the family, even though Alice was younger.

Dad answered my comment with a knowing smirk of his own. "Well you are our only son. We are depending on you to carry on the Cullen name one day. So forgive us if you tend to be important from time to time." His chuckles filled the air as we settled back in our chairs. "Speaking of the Cullen name, any idea of when we could be expecting any new additions to our happy clan?"

There was no way I could stop my eyes from rolling. Mom and dad both have teased Bella and I mercilessly for years about how we would probably be giving them grandbabies long before we ever married. But that was before I had proposed, so I thought the taunting would have stopped with us progressing the relationship finally. But not with my dad around. "Dad, seriously I thought you said I should take it easy for a while. Surely making babies would be far to much exercise for my heart right now, wouldn't it?"

My dad just laughed, "Smart ass!" After feigning shock at his use of 'such harsh language,' I reminded him that there was supposed to be a certain order to these things right? "Bella and I talked about it, she wants to stop taking her birth control about a week before the wedding. We really want to start trying as soon as possible." Resting my head back against the back of the chair I couldn't help the smile that covered my face. Just the thought of Bella's beautiful body round with our child made my heart race. The idea of a little bronzed haired boy toddling around calling for his mama; or the little brown haired angel, that I fully expected would have me wrapped around her pinky finger, looking at me with the biggest brown eyes; it was all just so wonder to think about. I was ready to put all of the bad things that have happened to us lately behind us and finally have some well deserved happiness.

Dad seemed to just know what I was thinking about, "You and Bella will make wonderful parents, I know it." Clapping me on the shoulder as he rose to go back inside, I just smiled up at him as I watched him go. Turning back to the back yard I couldn't help the images of swings, slides, maybe even a dog house fill up the empty spaces. I was a very lucky man, and I wasn't about to let the likes of James Reynolds ruin that for me.

BPOV

The month was passing by so quickly. August would be upon us before we knew it and another school year would be starting. Edward had to make the first of what would be many trips back to Seattle today for a weekly update to the director. I had plans to spend my day preparing lesson plans for my new class of up and coming kindergarteners.

Speaking with Carlisle last week about Edward's condition put so many things into perspective. Edward was doing everything he could to put my mind at ease about the whole thing. True to his word Edward took his medication like clock work. I was slowly transitioning us over to a much lower fat/salt, diet and we had even taken to running each morning together. A few nights afterwards I pulled Edward aside and apologized for blowing up at him as I did. I even made sure to tell him he was right, which he loved and crowed in enjoyment at me admitting he was so. We couldn't allow this to control our lives or we never would truly live. But I did stress to him that there was no way we were going to completely forget about it either. I was going to do everything in my power to see that he lived a long and happy life well into his eighties, being by his side the entire way.

I was currently stumbling around the kitchen, half awake, fixing Edward his steaming cup of decaffeinated coffee. It was a vice we both shared, and both hated to give up, but he and I knew it would be worth it in the long run. So after adding an extra scoop of sugar - come on there was no way we could give everything up - and some of his favorite hazelnut creamer, he kissed my cheek as he headed out the door. "Goodbye June, I love you," Edward called out as he shut the door behind him. "I love you too Ward, have a good day," I couldn't help but giggle as I answered back.

Walking upstairs to our joint office, I started to pick up and put away a few items while I waited for my laptop to fire-up. Every year I always treated the first few days of school as a sort of meet and greet fun time for both the parents and the kids. I only gave very simple assignments for homework on the first week of school because the kids only went half a day. In our school district kids with last names starting with A-J went Monday and Tuesday, kids with K-Z went Wednesday and Thursday. Everyone came on Friday so that they had a chance to get to know one another, before having to start coming all day, all the time. Believe it or not, starting kindergarten can be a very traumatizing time for both the children and the parents. So I did what I could to help to alleviate some of the stress associated with separation, even if it was for only half a day.

As I looked over some of the admission papers, I couldn't help but wonder who would be my clingy parents this year. There was a parent every year that it just broke their hearts to leave their child. They would swear that it was going to mentally scar their poor little angel if they actually had to leave. All the while the kid would be doing their best to get their parent to leave and stop making an idiot of themselves. Kids can be very resilient when it called for it. And almost every child hated being embarrassed, especially by a wailing parent.

I was making a lot of progress and had almost a full weeks worth of plans laid out. Edward called and said that he had made it safely and that he shouldn't be to long. I knew he worried about me being alone but in this instance it couldn't be helped. It seemed everyone had somewhere they had to be and I was left with no one to baby-sit me. This left Edward feeling terribly bothered, but I promised him that I was not going anywhere today and that I would be safe in our house. I mean come on the place is like Fort Knox, what would go wrong?

Edward had been gone about two hours and my stomach decided to remind me that lunch was a necessity. I was barely to the head of the stairs when the phone started to ring. There was no real hurry to answer it because Dad, Edward and Emmett both requested that I screen all of the calls coming into the house before answering them. The machine would pick up and record the first few minutes of the conversation so they would have a record of who had our number. At the beginning, we got the occasional wrong number because we had a number that had been used before. After that the phone rarely ever even rang. But now it was ringing incessantly and I was beginning to wonder if the machine was going to really pick up.

I had just passed the last step when I heard my name being called out. It was a voice I could never forget. "_Isabellaaaa," _it whined out. I gasped and my heart felt like it was going to break something, it was beating so hard. "_I know you are home, Isabellaaaa." _My steps were slow as I walked to where the phone and answering machine sat on the side table in the living room. _"Pick up the damn phone!"_

My hand hovered over the receiver debating what I should do. If I hung it up he would know for certain that I was home. If I turned off the machine he would know. Slowly I sat down on the couch waiting for the machine to cut his phone call off. Why was he calling my home? Why did he have to continue to mess with me. Running my hands over my face I released the breath I was holding when the machine stopped recording and disconnected the call. My finger was on the delete button when the shrill cry of the phone rang again causing me to jump. There was no way it would be him again right? Again I allowed the machine to pick up and once again my heart felt like it was ready to launch itself right out of my chest it was pounding so hard. _"Isabella, pick up the damn phone and stop pretending you aren't there."_

My hand was shaking as I raised the receiver to my ear as I pressed the talk button. I tried hard to calm my breathing but it wasn't really working. _"That's a good girl. Hasn't anyone ever told you it's not polite to screen your calls?" _My mouth was so dry it was hard to get words to form. "Why are you calling me?" I was so scared. Edward, Dad, and Emmett had all told me not to speak to him if he ever had the gall to call again. Edward was going to be so pissed when he found out that he had somehow gotten access to our home phone.

"_I've got a little present for you my angel."_ The sneer in his voice came through loud and clear as he said the last part. "Don't call me that," I snapped. "I am not your angel." His laugh filled my ears sending a sickening shiver down my spine. _"But angel I have a gift for you."_ "I don't want anything from you. You are a sick fuck." _"My, my such a dirty mouth,"_ he tasked as he continued to taunt me. I had a death grip on the phone wishing I could just hang it up and toss it across the room.

"_Now behave or you won't get to enjoy your present." _I was about to respond when he continued, _"Say hello to Isabella, my pet." _The voice of a young woman filled the line next, _"Hello?" _She sounded groggy, half asleep, like she wasn't completely aware that she was talking. My own need for survival kicked in "Get out of there, he's going to kill you!" But I could tell the phone had been snatched away from her before she could respond. I'm not sure she even heard me. Then it really hit me, he was going to hurt someone else. "Why are you doing this? Please don't hurt her."

He sighed long and deep before he spoke, _"A man has his needs Isabella. Since your precious Edward has made it so hard for me to meet mine, I have to take drastic measures sometimes."_ "Why, what has she ever done to you." _"She's done nothing my darling, Isabella. She's simply a means to an end, my angel."_ Every time he would call me that my stomach would tighten and feel as though it were rolling. I was trying hard not to get sick as he continued to sweetly croon out the affectionate term.

"_I wish you could see her. She really is quite lovely, but don't worry, she pales in comparison to you. I can't wait to fuck her. I bet she's tight."_ "You are sick, you need serious help." I couldn't hold back the disgust in my voice. Quickly I hung up the phone and dialed Edward's cell, but it went straight to voicemail. "Edward, please call me as soon as you get this message. It's important." Hanging up I hit the talk button again ready to dial Emmett's number when I heard him again. This time he was furious. _"You fucking bitch! Don't you ever hang up on me again."_ I must have caught the phone before it had a chance to ring again. _"If you do I will gut her like a fish and it will be all your fault."_ The venom in his voice told me he was serious.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" It was so hard to get my voice to stop trembling. I was scared, scared for me and for that poor girl on the other side. Did she know what was going to happen to her? Edward, I needed Edward. Sitting down on the couch, I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my head against them. He was going to make me listen to whatever he was about to do. He was right, if hearing what he was about to do would give this poor girl any chance of being set free after he was done, then I would have to endure it. Taking several deep breaths I tried hard to keep my breakfast from revisiting me as I listened to him talk.

"_You really should be quite flattered. It's not many people I allow listen to me while I perform."_ I could hear things begin shuffled around in the back ground. The occasional moan could be heard, but it didn't sound like a moan of satisfaction, more like a moan of someone half asleep. He must have drugged her to get her to come with him. I tried hard to clear my head.

_Think Bella, what would Edward do if he were here._

Looking over to the machine I saw that it was a few seconds away from disconnecting the recording. I flipped the side switch to continuous record. At least Edward could use this against him as evidence, even if I did have to listen to it. God knows there was no way I could repeat this to him later.

"_Now, Isabella don't be shy…this isn't a one way conversation. I expect you to contribute."_ I was disgusted, "Just what do you think I'll contribute to you raping some poor woman?"

"_I'm not raping her." _James was angry now. _"I'm giving her a proper sexual experience with a real man."_ All I could do was laugh. Who was he kidding. "Tell me James, is drugging some poor girl the only way you can get a woman?" I was angry, why was he so set on torturing women? What did we ever do to him?

I heard a loud cry, he had done something to the woman, she was in pain.

JamesPOV

That bitch, how dare she even suggest that I couldn't get a woman if I wanted too. She had no idea how deeply I could love. My Elizabeth loved me, but they had taken her from me. After it was all over they would see, everyone would see. They made me the way that I am. If they hadn't of taken my angel away from me then I would not have had to resort to this. It was there fault.

I picked up the body of the woman laying before me and tossed her further up the bed. Her cry out sent shivers down my spine. I loved the sound. _"Stop, please don't hurt her."_ I smiled into the phone, Isabella was listening. Granted this wasn't my ideal situation, that would have required Isabella spread eagle, naked, strapped to my bed, begging me to fuck her senseless. But knowing that she could hear me call out her name as I fucked this little slut in front of me made my cock stand to attention.

"Oh I won't hurt her Isabella, but I will make sure that she makes me cum several times before it's all over with."

BPOV

The phone kept beeping in my ear. Over and over again the call waiting would go off. I looked down once and saw it was Emmett calling from his cellular. I knew there was no way that I could answer him and not piss James off even more. So I just allowed the interruptions to continue.

I felt wretched inside. It had been an hour and still James continued to hurt her. It was hard to decide what was worse, the sounds of sex coming through the phone, with his grunts and moans, or her crying. Her tears tore at my heart, she was so scared. At this point I wasn't sure which one I should hope would happen. Would she be better off after all of this dead, or was she going to be strong enough to survive everything that has happened?

My head was aching from the amount of times I had run my fingers through my hair, tearing at it in frustration. My stomach felt like a million bats were beating around inside of it. I just wanted this all to end. Just as that thought crossed my mind…it did. There was silence on the phone. I couldn't hear anything, not even breathing. I looked down at my phone and saw that it was still connected, so it wasn't due to my end of the call.

"James," I whispered. There was rustling on the other end of the line but not a lot else. _"My pretty, pretty little pet."_ James was speaking but it didn't seem like he was speaking to me. _"You did so well. Unfortunately for you I don't leave witnesses,"_ The sounds of whimpers and crying picked up and I realized I was beginning to cry too. "NO! James I listened, I heard every word. Don't do this. Please I did what you told me to do." Begging for her life wasn't helping. I wasn't even sure if he was listening to me anymore. _"I hope you had a good time at least." _The last thing I heard before the line went dead was a blood curdling scream.

EPOV

I stepped out of the Seattle home office around three o'clock and switched my phone back on. While in house for a debriefing the director was very strict about no interruptions. Besides Emmett would be able to handle anything that came our way for a few hours. As I walked to my car I saw that I had a missed message from Bella. Quickly I dialed my voicemail and heard her frantic voice asking me to call her as soon as I got this. Looking down at the timestamp I realized that was three hours ago.

There was also two urgent messages and a text from Emmett asking me if I knew where Bella was and to get back to him ASAP. My gut was telling me something was not right. As I rushed over to my car I quickly dialed Emmett's number. He picked up on the first ring, "Edward, bro, where are you?"

"I'm just leaving the office, remember I started the weekly briefings with the director today. What is going on? Have you talked to Bella?"

"No man I was hoping you had. I can't get her on the phone or her cellular and I've been trying since noon." Shit, something was really wrong. There was no way Bella would ever just ignore a phone call from any of her family unless something was wrong. My stomach tightened again, the feeling getting worse. "Where are you?"

"I'm on my way back to Forks. I should be there in a little over and hour. Turns out in order to get a juvenile case file completely opened, you have to present a lot more paper work than just a request by fax. I had to actually fly to L.A. to meet with the district attorney and plead our case. My plane should land in about twenty minutes and then it's at least another forty-five before I'm home." Shit, he was out of the fucking state?

I was tearing through Seattle heading back home. Something was wrong, I could feel it and no one was close enough to get to Bella for me. "Alright meet me at my house as quickly as you can. Something isn't right man, I can feel it."

"I know what you mean. I've been feeling off all morning, that's why I've been calling Bells so much. But it's not like her to just ignore my calls. Even when she's mad at me she picks up long enough to tell me 'to shove it' and hang up. I'm not even getting that, plus the machine isn't picking up."

That really had me worried. Bella never turned the machine off. It was how we asked her to screen the incoming calls. "I'm going to call around and see if I can find anyone that can get to her before we can. I'm really worried Em." After hanging up with him I began to fly through my contact list. One by one I called family, friends, I even called our neighbors from across the street to see if Demitri would check on her. Everyone was either busy or to far away for one reason or another to do any good. Even Irina said that Demitri wasn't home. Jake was my last chance.

"Jake?" "Hey, Edward, what's up man?" "Jake I need a huge favor. Are you home?" "Yeah, I took the day off. I'm in the garage working on the rabbit. What's up?" Jake and his cars. He took care of his cars like they were a girlfriend. Sometimes I wondered how Leah didn't get jealous. "I need you to get over to my house as quick as you can. Bella hasn't been answering the house phone or her cellular for the past three hours and I'm beyond worried." Jake was one of my best friends. I knew if I could depend on anyone to keep Bella safe until I could get there it would be him. "No problem. Is the gate open?"

After giving Jacob the code to get into the gate, I slammed my foot on the gas. I had to make it back to Forks in record time.

Somehow I was able to shave ten minutes off of my regular break-neck speed. I'm sure if you looked you'd find a small dent in the floor where I pressed down on the accelerator so hard. After Jake made it inside the house he called me back on the house phone telling me I had to get there now. He had found Bella and she was in a near catatonic state.

Using my remote to signal the gates to open, I flew through them, up the drive, skidding to a halt in front of my house. I was out the door and up the steps just as I heard the tires of another car entering behind mine. Throwing open my front door I raced in, frantic to find Bella.

"Bella! Bella!" My heart was pounding in my chest. "In here Edward," Jacob called from the living room. Turning towards the room I halted, staring at the sight before me. Bella was curled up on the couch in the fetal position, clutching the phone, staring off into space. As I rushed to her side, falling to my knees at the edge of the couch I heard Emmett's heavy footsteps right behind me. "What happened Jacob," I asked as I reached slowly forward to caress her cheek. She looked so small and frail at that moment.

"I'm not sure, really. When I got here I found her over there in the corner clutching the phone, rocking back and forth mumbling what sounded like 'he killed her'. I tried getting the phone from her, but she's got a death grip on it." I looked at her tiny hands clutching it tightly to her chest. "When I reached for the one in the kitchen she started screaming like I was torturing her or something. It took me a while just to calm her down long enough to call you."

Looking at Bella she seemed so lost in her own world. In the entire time I had been at her side I couldn't remember even seeing her blink yet. Emmett sat on the floor at her head slowly stroking her hair with his face buried in her hair pleading with her to say something. "Bella, baby, you're scaring me. Please talk to me, love. What happened?" The dullness of her brown eyes seemed to brighten little by little as I continued to coax her back to me. It wasn't until she took a deep sob of breath that I felt like she was really responding to my efforts. I sighed a deep sigh of relief when her voice cracked as she whispered my name in recognition. What I didn't expect was for her to launch her body at me knocking me back to the floor as she wrapped her arms around me.

Immediately she began to sob uncontrollably all while trying to tell me what was wrong. I could barely make out anything that she said, it was all coming out in such a rush. As I sat up her hold on me became more entangled as her legs wrapped around my waist. There was no way I could get up by myself with her in my arms so as I held on to her Jacob and Emmett both grabbed my arms and helped me to stand, guiding me to the couch. As they both sat down near me Bella continued to rant.

"Jacob could you please call my dad? I'm afraid if she doesn't calm down he may need to sedate her." He nodded in understanding as he rose to leave to use the kitchen phone.

"Bells, please calm down," Emmett's pleas were going unanswered by his little sister. And by the look on his face it was breaking his heart that he couldn't fix this for her. I was in the same position because neither of us knew what was wrong yet in order TOO fix it.

"Bella, you have to take some deep breaths and calm down." It seemed like we sat there for forever trying to calm Bella before I heard the slamming of car doors signaling the arrival of my father. Racing in with his medical bag in hand, he rushed towards us. Mom was not far behind as were Rose and Alice. "How long has she been like this, Edward?" my father asked as he wrapped a pressure cuff around the top of Bella's arm. "At least forty minutes if not more dad. I don't know how long she was alone before Jacob found her."

Poor Jacob looked just as miserable as Emmett, standing by the door running his hands through his hair. Bella would always have a soft spot in his heart and to see her hurting tore him up. "Edward, her blood pressure is extremely high. We need to get her calmed down." I continued to run my hands up and down her back doing the best I could to sooth her but she was still crying so hard she began to snub. I knew what he would suggest next as he took in Bella's current state of mind. "Son I think she might be due for a mild sedative. I know how she hates needles but this will help to calm her down a good deal and it should help her to naturally lower her blood pressure."

All I could do was nod my head. Wrapping my arms tighter around Bella's body I prepare myself for the jerk of her body as the needle pierced her soft skin. Even in her current state Bella knew what was coming and she began to mutter soft pleas against my neck. "No, Edward…no needles, I'll be good, I promise." But it was to late to back down now. Dad had already swabbed her upper thigh that was visible by the leg of her shorts and had filled the syringe. I just kissed her neck as she felt the pinch, which unfortunately just brought forth more tears.

It was a good ten minutes before I could feel her chest start to rise and fall more slowly against mine. Her face was still buried against the side of my neck and the collar of my shirt was fairly damp from all of her tears. I felt her continue to calm down as Emmett came back to sit down beside me "Bella, are you alright? Can you talk to us sweetie, please?" Emmett began to worry his bottom lip with his teeth, a trait he had picked up from years of living with his sister.

Everyone waited, praying Bella would be calm enough to tell us what had driven her to this place. I heard Alice on the phone to Jasper telling him where she was. You could tell by her voice she was so distraught for her best friend. Rosalie sat beside her, gently rubbing her back intently focused on the back of Bella's head. Esme, the ever constant mother-hen, was standing close by waiting to give assistance should Bella need her over me.

Her face was still pressed into my neck but her arms fell loosely against my body and her legs were no longer clamped around my waist holding onto me tightly. Bella was a light-weight when it came to medication, she had fallen asleep. "I was sure that would have been mild enough not to completely knock her out. She must be exhausted." I watched as dad picked up her wrist, feeling for her pulse. It looked like we would have to wait until Bella woke to get the information we needed. But just as we were all beginning to move around to make room on the couch for me to lower Bella down she began to speak.

For years Bella has talked in her sleep. At times you could have entire conversations with her and she wouldn't remember a thing about it when she woke up. I don't know if her choosing to reveal what happened today like that would end up a blessing or a curse. That meant this was haunting her subconscious too. "He killed her." Both Emmett and I leaned in closer to hear her better. Emmett had the presence of mind to grab his small recorder from his jacket pocket to record what she was saying, placing it by her head.

"Who killed her, Bella?" Somehow I felt I already knew the answer, but I had to hear it from her. Bella whimpered out his name, "James."

"I did everything he asked, but he killed her anyway." She sucked in a deep breath as a sob shook her body. Gently I lay my hand against her arm trying to offer her some comfort but keep her talking. "He made me listen." "Listen to what baby?" "The machine," that was her final words as she slipped deeper into sleep, her sleep talking ceasing.

After I had Bella settled I stood to follow Emmett into the kitchen with Jacob and Carlisle. The girls had all gathered around Bella to watch over her. Esme had placed the throw from the back of the sofa over her, tucking her in. Emmett had excused himself to call Charlie to have him come over. Apparently there had been a fire on the outside of town earlier today and he was attending to that. You could hear Charlie yelling even from a few feet away. Emmett said that he was on his way over now. We all knew, when it came to his daughter no one would stand in his way.

"What do you think she meant by 'the machine'?" Jacob was staring at his feet as he spoke. And we all nearly jumped out of our skins when he spoke again. "SHIT! That's why she didn't want me to touch the phone." Running out of the kitchen we followed closely behind him as he ran for the living room again. Skidding to a stop we watched as he pressed the play button on our digital answering machine.

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A/N: I really hope that this chapter doesn't come off as a tedious chapter. It was an important one to me because it will show you how James intends to not be forgotten. He intends to torture Edward and Bella for a while before this all comes to a head.

_Well midterms are passed and I got my first A since going back to school. Thank you for being so patient with me. I'm not sure how many readers are still out there putting up with me but to each of you I am very thankful. Also I have a poll on my profile that if you have the time please vote for me. I'm getting some ideas on some new stories that I'm working on. _

_Love you all…thank you for continuing to read._


	32. Chapter 32

**Twilight is solely owned by Stephenie Meyer, publishing to Little, Brown Publishing. No infringement on these rights was intended in the making of this story.**

_A/N: Wow I'm at chapter 32...I never thought I would have written anything this long before. And I've still got several chapters to go before we start drawing to an ending. I'm so thankful to all of you who are reading my work…you are such a blessing. _

_Thank you so much for the reviews….and as you read this please don't get to upset with so many switching POV's. I thought it was important to see different aspects of certain areas that you can only get from certain people. So what I'm saying is although it's not normal for me to have so many POV's I felt at least for this chapter it was necessary. _

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EmPOV

We all sat in the living room as the recording started. Charlie had made it just in time to see Esme, Rose and Alice follow Bella as she bolted down the hall towards the nearest bathroom. The sedative Carlisle had given her only allowed her about fifteen minutes of sleep before she woke herself and raced to the nearest bathroom.

I watched Edward out of the corner of my eye. He was tearing at his hair, as we all listened to Bella as she threw up over and over again. Her sobs and gasps for breath the only thing causing her to stop as she continued to heave. You could hear Esme trying hard to comfort her, assuring her it would be alright.

It broke my heart to hear Bella so torn up. And I knew every man in this room was at least equally as upset as I was. As we listened to the recording getting more graphic by the minute, I realized my baby sister had to suffer through this entire thing. I couldn't understand how she did it.

My knees gave out. They just couldn't continue to hold me up any longer. I slumped down on the loveseat near the couch. If she had to listen to all of it then so would I. My stomach started to violently turn, it seemed the recording was going on for hours, when in fact it was just over an hour before it finally seemed to end.

After the last of James' final grunts quieted there was a long pause and Bella's voice came on the line again. You could tell she was trying so hard to keep from crying. God I can only imagine what she had gone through at this point. How had she listened to all of this without completely breaking down. But then again she had broken down, only after the fact. I'm sure it took everything inside of her just to have lasted this long.

"_James," _Bella whispered. There was rustling on the other end of the line but not a lot else._ "My pretty, pretty little pet." _James was speaking but it didn't seem like he was speaking to Bella. _"You did so well. Unfortunately for you I don't leave witnesses," _The sounds of whimpers and crying picked up and we could hear Bella beginning to openly cry too. _"NO! James I listened, I heard every word. Don't do this. Please I did what you told me to do." _Bella was now openly begging for the poor girls life on the other end. I couldn't help but wonder if Bella knew it was useless from the beginning or not? _"I hope you had a good time at least." _The last thing we heard before James' side of the line went dead was a blood curdling scream that made us all jump slightly in our seats. We had all been so focused on listening that it took us by surprise when it happened.

The recording wasn't over though, we could hear Bella as she sobbed into the phone repeating over and over again, _"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," _before the line finally went dead and the recording clicked off. Jacob was the first to speak, "Fuck! Bella had to listen to that shit?" He grimaced as he realized the company he was in the presence of, "Sorry, Dr. C."

"It's alright Jacob," Carlisle said with a slight smile, "That would have been my sentiments exactly." I watched as Edward jumped from the couch and crossed the room to his messenger bag that had been unceremoniously dumped by the front door. He grabbed his phone and notebook from it before pulling a chair from the kitchen table.

"Dad, can you call the hospitals here and the surrounding areas, let them know that there may be a rape or murder victim coming their way soon and to keep their eyes out for it and to contact you, me, Emmett, or Charlie as soon as possible? Charlie, can you check on your men and see where they are in dealing with the fire? We are going to need every available man to start searching the roadsides. If she is dead he's going to dump the body soon and we need to find it as quickly as possible to preserve any evidence." I couldn't help but look at the stairway that would lead to the master bedroom. Carlisle had gone in moments after Bella had started throwing up to see if he could do anything for her. Eventually he had carried her limp body upstairs to the bedroom, the girls in tow, before joining us back down here. I desperately wanted to go up and check on her.

I was pulled from my thoughts as I realized Edward was calling my name, "Emmett, Emmett! God damn it this is no time for day dreaming." My eyes snapped to his face as I quickly stood up and marched over to face him. I watched as the scowl that was on his face melted and he suddenly looked so defeated. That's when I realized that the only thing keeping Edward from racing up those stairs before I could even think about it, was the need to take care of this. If there was even a inkling of a chance that this girl could possibly be alive, then she wasn't going to have much time for us to find her. He was hurting and it was all because he couldn't afford the time to go to my baby sister upstairs to comfort her. Someone else's life could be on the line and it was killing him inside.

I did my best to soften the expression on my face before I spoke, "I'll call the director and give him an update. Then I'll help Charlie to get the ball rolling on the patrols. Jacob, could you call up some of the guys from the Rez and see if they will help us in searching the area? The faster we can get that done the better we will be."

"Yeah bro, no problem." I watched as he walked towards the back patio, flipping open his cell phone to start making calls.

Both Edward and I looked towards the stairs as we watched Esme slowly make her way down to us. Carlisle met her and pulled her into a hug. "She's sleeping Edward. Rose and Alice are going to stay for a while with her while you do what you need to do." She gave him a supportive smile before allowing Carlisle to pull her into his arms for a comforting hug. Edward just nodded his head, sitting back down to focus on his notes.

EPOV

I stared at the words before me, but I couldn't really focus on it. My heart was telling me to run up those stairs and wrap Bella in my arms, holding her till this all went away. As badly as I wanted to do that, I knew I just couldn't afford to do that right now. Bella was alive and safe, this poor girl, whoever she is, wasn't and she had to be my focus right now. I hated the thought that yet another young woman had just been added to the long list of victims this son of a bitch had gotten away with hurting.

It was several hours before we had gotten everything in place to start the patrols. Charlie's men were all informed of what was going on and what was needed of them. They would start their patrols tonight and the men that had volunteered from the Rez would take over for them around midnight. Basically all they would be required to do was drive up and down the roads of the town periodically looking out for anything suspicious. If it so happened one of them would come across the victims body then they were to stay put and call it into police headquarters.

It was well after midnight before I finally locked up the house. Charlie said that he would be in contact with me by tomorrow morning with any new information. Emmett was going home to get some rest, even though I offered him the spare room upstairs, so that he could head out with the LaPush boys a little later on. Dad said that he had given something to Bella to help calm her nerves so that she could sleep. Mom, Rose and Alice all promised they would be over tomorrow throughout the day. They didn't want her left alone while I had to work and I couldn't agree with them more. I was even tempted to see if she'd agree to go with me down to the station so that she wouldn't have to be here by herself.

I knew she loved this house, but sometimes with how big it was, it could come off as a little creepy when it got really quiet and you were left alone with your thoughts. So after locking all the doors and setting the alarm system I slowly trudged up the stairs. I was too tired for much else than stripping down to my boxers and climbing into bed. My poor Bella was engulfed in one my tee-shirts wrapped up to her ears in comforter. As I slipped in beside her she began to whimper my name so I pulled her tight into my body. Her lips were pressed to my chest right where my heart beat, her arm slipped under mine and pulled me tight to her as she hooked her leg over my hip latching on tight. Before my eyes closed in exhaustion I whispered a solemn vow to her, "I swear I will make this better and this bastard will pay for what he's done Bella. One way or another, I swear it to you."

The next couple of days passed and the investigation continued with still no body having turned up. The surrounding hospitals were quiet as well. No Jane Doe's reported, no rapes, no murders, nothing. It got to the point that even the silence was eerie.

Esme, Rose and Alice set up a routine that started the very next day after the phone call to keep a watch on Bella. They couldn't just stop their lives but they did everything they could to readjust them so that Bella was never alone. Normally Alice would take the morning shift helping Bella to get showered and dressed.

That first day I spent twenty minutes convincing Bella to eat a whole banana and a small glass of juice as her breakfast. Dad had said that one of the signs of a person not handling a mental trauma well was withdrawal and that would include not eating. So even if she fought us on it we had to make sure she ate something. Shamefully I even had to pull out the 'please eat this for me' card against her. With tears in her eyes she slowly nibbled on her breakfast till it was all gone. I held her in my arms telling her how much I loved her as she sipped on the straw of her juice. It was like this that Alice found us. It wasn't hard to tell that Alice was heartbroken watching her friend fall apart like this. There was no way she could hide the way her chin would tremble as she helped Bella upstairs to get dressed.

Before Alice escaped with Bella I kissed them both goodbye. Bella almost wouldn't allow me to leave with how tightly she held onto my shirt, but I promised her I would be back for lunch in just a few hours so she wouldn't have time to miss me long. That seemed to help her let go, but it made me want to stay all the more. This case was seriously making me begin to reconsider my choice of careers. I was starting to wonder if it was all worth it in the long run. Grabbing my things I rushed out the door, that was something I didn't have time to think about right now.

Three days had passed and still no body. We had a patrolman set at the end of every major street. Which in a town as small as Fork was about four. The others, as well as myself, Emmett, Charlie, and the LaPush volunteers all continued to patrol.

Bella was getting worse, drawing more and more into herself. She'd sit on the couch just staring off into space not really focusing on anything in particular. Mom always sat with Bella from four till I got home. Most times I'd walk in and Bella would be curled up against her as she would read to her. If you didn't know something was wrong you would think they were just sharing some special time together.

She wouldn't go outside at all now, Jasper came by daily with Alice and would work on her garden or our yard to keep them tended. He would try so hard to start up a conversation with her. He'd show her all of the produce that was coming from 'her wonderful garden that she had done such a great job on that even he was envious of,' but she would barely even register as smile at his attempted compliment.

Each time he would fix her lunch she would be sure to whisper him a thank you before pushing from the table and walking back to sit on her spot on the couch. I was at a loss. It felt like I was losing her and it was killing me inside. Every night she would cling to me as we slept, and every night she'd whimper in her sleep till I would be able to soothe her.

As I sat in my car thinking about this, waiting for my replacement to relieve me, my phone started to ring playing the ring tone signaling it was my Dad calling. Answering it quickly I barely got a hello out before he spoke, "They found her Edward." "Where are you?" "She's at Forks General, son." So many questions were running through my head at that moment, all fighting to be asked first. "How bad is it?" I knew that no matter what it was that somehow I was going to have to tell Bella. Maybe it would allow her to heal by knowing finally what had happened to that poor girl.

"She's alive Edward." With those three words I flew like a bat out of hell to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

EmPOV

I couldn't believe it when Sam called me to tell me that he found a girl that had been discarded on the side of the road. Apparently she was in pretty bad shape and he was afraid to move her, but she was very much alive. For sure that meant we had the wrong person, James never left witnesses. I made it to the site just as the Paramedics were arriving. They acted quickly, taking vitals and asking questions. There wasn't a visible spot of skin on her body that wasn't cut, bruised or bleeding. She looked like she had been through hell and back. Granted I only got to see Bella after they had gotten a chance to clean her up but I think it's safe to say even Bella looked better than this girl did.

They had her loaded up in the ambulance and racing off to the hospital in no time. I had already called Charlie and he was going to come and organize the working of the crime scene while Edward and I did what we could to hopefully question the witness. I tried calling Edward but it went straight to voicemail which meant he was on the phone.

I was just walking into the hospital when I was met with Carlisle rushing towards me. He explained that he had spoken to Edward and he was on his way, he didn't really have time to say more before he rushed back to finish his exam of the victim.

The Victim's POV

As I lay there on the hospital bed I tried so hard not to move. Even when I blinked it hurt, taking a breath hurt. Why would James do this to me? I knew he liked it rough but this was to much, way beyond anything we had ever done. I should have listened to my gut when it told me something wasn't right. Why didn't I listen to that stupid little voice in my head telling me not to go with him?

It had started off wrong from the beginning. When James had come into the club early in the afternoon I should have realized something was off. He never came in that early, normally he showed up several hours after we had opened, much later into the night. I really should have known something was up when he came straight for me. I had just gotten done sanitizing one of the rooms when he had walked right up to me and asked to speak to me in private. That should have been red flag number two. James loved to be watched, he liked to be the center of attention, so for him to have asked to go somewhere we wouldn't be heard talking should have alerted me.

Red flag number three, when he offered me four hundred dollars to perform with him for his "girlfriend". Boy was that ever a red flag when he explained the situation to me. I thought over the story he gave me, how she was out of town and she knew he was going to be performing with another person for her. That she got turned on by phone sex and that she was into the rough stuff. When James said 'rough stuff' it didn't worry me at first because that was normal for him.

Whenever James would visit the club, it almost always involved either him being tied up and fucked like crazy by either a dominate male or female, or he would tie up his partner and make sure they begged for hours before the night was over. So after I agreed, and of course I made sure my boss knew where I was going to be that night, we left the club together. It wasn't until we were walking to his car that things went down hill fast. He was on me before I even had a chance to defend myself. As I struggled against him, his hand covering my mouth with a cloth that smelled horrible, I couldn't help but think what a horrible mess I had gotten myself into.

Now laying here on this hospital bed, trying my best to take slow shallow breaths so my ribs would stop screaming at me, I realized I had no idea how I was ever going to be able to move on from this. He said it was only a game but it turned out to be so much more. The way she begged over the phone for me to be let go. She knew. She knew that this wasn't a game but like a fly trapped in a spider's web I had no way to get out.

Thinking back now I'm not sure if I would have been better off if she had hung up. Death might be a welcomed feeling to the pain I was in right now. But she had suffered through all of it right along with me. When it got really bad, when the pain seemed to be at its worse, when James hurt me the deepest, I knew she was right there choosing to suffer along beside me. I didn't know this Bella that James was so infatuated with…but I could tell she was a good person. A lesser person would have hung up, but she hoped that James would keep his word and not kill me at the end.

In all honesty I panicked when he told her that he was going to have to kill me. After everything, after all of the pain I knew far to well he could easily do it and probably wouldn't even have blinked an eye at it. That probably scared me the most. So when I watched as his hovered over me, his arm drawn high above his head, the blade glinting against the overhead light, I reacted naturally and let out the loudest scream I had ever screamed. I just knew it would be the final sound from me on this earth. But instead of feeling the pain from being stabbed over and over again I felt James' wet kiss on my lips.

"You were perfect. That couldn't have worked out better even if I do say so myself." He had meant it all for show, so Bella would think that he had really killed me. Laying here now I knew what I had to do, I knew who I had to speak too. Somehow, even though it hurt like hell to even take a deep breath, I had to speak to her. So with a lot of effort and severe amounts of pain I looked into the face of the handsome blonde hair doctor with big green eyes that was currently working on me and forced out the only word I knew I could get out without passing out from the strain. He would have to understand, somehow he would have to understand what I needed. So with cracked lips I spoke, "Bella," and passed out.

BPOV

Everything felt hollow. When I moved it felt robotic, like my body was just moving on auto pilot. Edward was a saint during this time, well he was always wonderful but more so during the days following that horrible phone call. I couldn't help but feel like I had let that poor girl down. She sounded so scared and I couldn't do anything about it.

Everyone was doing everything they could to help me cope but the despair and grief I felt over that poor girl loosing her life just overwhelmed me. Jasper tried so hard to make me smile, Emmett was even more protective than normal, Charlie even spent an entire three hours trying to explain a baseball game to me before finally realizing that I just wasn't up for the company. Esme, Alice and Rosalie rarely ever left my side especially when Edward couldn't be with me because of work. In truth this made me feel worse. Poor Bella, everyone had to stop their lives because she couldn't cope. That was the story of my life. Just once I wanted to be the strong one. But in the end I never failed to fall short.

It was always different around Edward though. I never felt insignificant or inferior around him. Edward loved me with everything in him and I loved him the same. So when the day had drained me and I was ready to give up it was in his arms that I found the most comfort. He never complained when I'd wrap myself up in him at night. And if it hadn't of been for his soft touch and loving embrace I'm sure I would have fallen further than I did.

That first day was the hardest on him. He practically had to beg me to eat breakfast, even asking me to do it for him if no one else. So with tears in my eyes I finally got down my banana and juice as he sighed in relief. It was hard for me to eat when I knew she never would again. I probably shouldn't have taken it as seriously as I did, I mean I didn't even know this girl. But part of me felt connected to her and almost ashamed of myself. It didn't seem fair, I got away, why couldn't she be as fortunate?

It was thoughts like this I sat wallowing in when the phone started to ring again. Jasper and Alice were spending the day with me since Rosalie had some things she had to get done, so it didn't surprise me when I heard Jasper's voice as he picked up the phone to answer. What did surprise me was when he enthusiastically pushed the phone my way with a smile on his face. "It's for you Bella, it's Edward. He said he has something important to tell you."

It was draining just to lift my arm to reach for the phone no matter how much I was looking forward to hearing Edward's voice over the line. When I finally did take it from Jasper, his smile throwing me a bit, and spoke to Edward I received both a blessing and a shock.

"Bella, they found her." Letting out the breath I didn't realize I was holding in, I suddently couldn't breath back in because my chest was so tight from wanting to cry all over again for her loss. But it was Edward's next sentence that finally helped me to breath again. "She's alive baby. She's in pretty bad shape, but she's alive." "Really?" I could barely believe those words had come from his mouth. "She's really alive, how is that possible?" "We don't know the specifics yet baby but she is…and Bella…" There was a long pause as though he were trying to get my attention when actually I was on the edge of my seat waiting for whatever he had to say next. "She's asked for you baby."

I rushed as quickly as I could to get ready. Thankfully I felt up to taking a shower this morning before Edward had left for work so that wasn't going to take up any of my time. When Edward had told me that this girl had been asking for me I was shocked to say the least. Today was definitely a day of surprises that's for sure. I hadn't expected her to be alive much less remember my name or to be asking for me. But she had already been through a horrible trauma so I wasn't going to keep her waiting any longer than necessary.

Alice being Alice, had my clothes already picked out by the time I made it to the bedroom. Sweeping my hair into a ponytail and tugging on my sneakers I was stumbling my way quickly back down the stairs in no time. The closer I got to the front door however I realized my footsteps were slowing. Alice and Jasper were waiting for me at the door both looking back expectantly at me. "What's wrong sweetie, did you forget something?" I know it was stupid of me, I mean who in their right minds is afraid to leave their own home right? Although I could clearly see there was nothing outside that could hurt me I was afraid to take another step forward.

Jasper must have been able to tell as my anxiety started to overtake me because he simply offered his hand to me, "Would I ever allow anything to hurt you, little darlin'?" He even gave me an almost perfect copy of Edward's crooked smile to reassure me. Reaching forward I gripped his hand tightly as he gently pulled me through the door to his awaiting car.

Alice sat in the back with me as we drove down the drive towards the front gate. I watched as my safe haven slipped further and further away as we sped down the street towards the hospital. Alice had texted Edward that we were almost there and he met us as we pulled up. I was never so relieved to be in his arms as when he opened my door and pulled me tight against his chest. It was like both of our breathing evened out when we were in each others arms.

Pulling back slightly from me he cupped my face in his large, warm hands staring intently into my eyes easily assessing my mood. I was nervous about being away from the house and even more so about meeting this girl that James had brutalized. What I didn't expect was for Edward to tell me that it would be best if I heard what happened from him and Emmett before I actually met this girl.

So with his arm wrapped around my waist I followed along as he gently pulled me inside leading me upstairs to his fathers office where I found everyone waiting. I walked away from Edward long enough to give hugs to Emmett, Charlie and Carlisle before settling back into Edward's arms. You know that feeling when you know something bad is about to happen? Well that's what it felt like. Carlisle offered me a cup of cold water, Charlie pulled the side chair up so close to me that our knees were practically touching, and Emmett had the most serious look on his face that I'd ever seen. Both Jasper and Alice had the exact same look I did on my face, one of utter confusion.

"Bella," Edward's hands closed around both of mine as he turned me slightly to face him, "I thought it was best if you heard this girls story from me."

EPOV

I watched as Bella took in everything I said. To be honest I wasn't exactly sure what her reaction was going to be when she heard the details. But what I didn't expect was anger. And she wasn't just mad she was pissed off. "She knew James?" Yanking her hands from me she shot up from the couch. "So this was all some big game to her?" She actually climbed over my dad's small coffee table in order to get around all of us. Turning around she had her arms crossed over her chest and her cheeks were turning more pink by the second telling me her temper was rising quickly. "You mean to tell me that I agonized over what I thought was her death for three days and she was fucking working with James?" Her eyes opened wide and her hands covered her mouth as she realized just what she had said. Quickly she yanked her hands down back to her sides, "No I mean what I said. She put me through hell and now she wants to meet with me? Has she not had enough fun that she feels like she wants to torture me more?"

It was Carlisle who stood to address Bella before I could. He grabbed her shoulders gently so she would stop her pacing up and down the office. "Bella I don't believe it was like that. From what I gathered from her story she believed that the sex was completely mutual, a game between you and James if you will." Charlie rose next from his seat to stand next to Carlisle, "Yeah baby, I really think this turned on her too in the end. She's really taken a beating." Turning to her father I watched as her anger dissipated and turned again to sadness, "But why would someone do this willingly even if in the end it turned out badly?" Her eyes welled up with tears as Charlie pulled her into his arms. I wanted desperately to take her from him and run away with her, locking us both from the world. Everything had gotten so out of hand lately. We both needed a break. I knew it was coming time to talk to Bella about that as I had been thinking about it for a while, but not until after this case was finished.

As Bella settled back down by my side on the couch, Emmett, Charlie and I explained to Bella in detail everything the woman had told us. Apparently she had known James from the sex club they both frequented in Seattle. She was a paid employee and had worked with him before. That was why she didn't think twice when he offered her the money for a "private party". Plus it wasn't like it was an uncommon thing, but normally it didn't leave the safety of the club.

She knew something was wrong when James had knocked her out and she didn't wake up until later already tied down to the bed. He kept swearing to her it was all an act and that his partner, Bella, would get a bigger thrill out of it by knowing she was treated as such. It didn't turn sour for her until he got onto the phone with Bella and apparently Bella sounded far more fearful for her safety than just play acting.

By this point Bella was openly crying. I frequently worried if my decision to keep her in the loop about the progress of the case was a wise one or not. How much exactly could she take before she finally broke. But I hated lying to her and I hated even more keeping things from her. She and I were each other's sounding boards. We relied on one another's strength to make it through. We weren't married yet but we were as bonded as two people could be. She was crying so much lately and with the attack being just a month ago I was honestly beginning to worry about her mental health.

After everything was said and done Bella was exhausted both mentally and physically. I didn't think she was up to meeting the witness and decided to take her home. On the way I stopped off at our favorite Japanese place to buy our supper. Neither of us felt up to cooking. Once we got home and I made sure everything was locked up I moved the food to the kitchen island for us to eat. I found Bella sitting in the living room, on the couch, in the dark. I slowly made my way over to her, careful not to startle her as she seemed to be lost in deep thoughts far away.

Gently taking her hand in mine I waited for her to speak. After a minute or two of silence she finally did but it was only a whisper, "Will our lives ever be normal again, Edward?" I felt so helpless right at that moment. I was supposed to be Bella's rock when she needed it. For god's sake I was going to marry the woman and I couldn't even seem to find the right words to put her mind to ease. Pulling her into my side I gently ran my fingers through her hair as she buried her face in my chest. "We will get through this Bella, I swear it to you. We just have to hold on for a little longer."

That night as we fell asleep wrapped up in one another's arms I knew I had to change something and soon. Bella had to be and would always be my first priority.

* * *

When I woke the next morning, Bella was still sleeping soundly. She had tossed and turned most of the night so I knew she would be asleep for some time to come. As I lay there in bed, Bella's body snuggled close into my side, I realized what I had to do. It wouldn't be an easy thing, in fact I would probably fight like hell to avoid it, even though it was going to be my suggestion. But I loved Bella more than anything and I knew this had to be done.

So carefully I slipped out from underneath Bella's arms and legs, making sure to wrap her snuggly into the comforter before I left. I pulled on my sleep pants and a tee-shirt and eased out the door towards our office. Even though I had made up my mind about what I needed to do I still sat there for twenty minutes warring with myself over my decision. Was it the right thing for Bella in the long run? Was it going to cause conflict between me and Emmett, or me and Charlie? Would they understand and accept this even though I had not talked to them about it before hand? Would Bella feel like her privacy was being invaded by the change I was going to request? So many thoughts were running through my head that it seemed like I was trying to find a way around what I knew had to be done.

I had reached a turning point in this case and I knew what my next step was. So picking up the phone I dialed headquarters in Seattle. The operator picked up on the second ring, _"Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI Seattle Headquarters, how may I direct your call?" _

I took a deep breath, and spoke… "This is Agent Edward Cullen, could you please patch me through to Director Davis?" _"Certainly sir, one moment."_ Sitting back in my chair I took a deep breath to relax me as I waited for the line to connect. I didn't have long to wait before the booming voice of my director came on the line, _"This is Davis." _"Sir, this is Edward. Do you have a moment sir, I have something I need to speak to you about. It's important."

_

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A/N: Thank you one and all that voted for me during the Crayola Contest….my submission "How Prom Changed it All" tied for third. I'm blown away for the sheer fact that I've never written in a contest entry before like that and to have done so well against some very talented people was amazing.

_Thank you so much for all of the kind words you've sent me about that story…Geekward is probably tied with Daddyward for my absolute favorite Edward of all times. You guys just don't know what the reviews mean to me._

_So what do you think he is going to be talking to the director about? Any ideas? I'd love to hear your thoughts. _

_love you guys!_


	33. Chapter 33

**Twilight is owned completely by Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown Publishing. No infringement on their rights was intended in the making of this story.**

_A/N: Thank you so much for all of the reviews. I got so many that suggested that Edward was preparing to send Bella into witness protection…well that's not it but I appreciate the suggestion. It was a really good one too. Maybe I'll figure a way to work that in later?_

_Please excuse any errors I may have made along the way…I do try hard…but I'm not perfect by any means._

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EPOV

The morning passed by slowly. I made several more phone calls after I got off the phone with the director. Things were going to move quickly now that I had made my decision. Apparently the director was waiting for me to take this step and already had the ball rolling. I knew my first phone call had to be to Emmett to explain myself to him. He deserved not to be blindsided by the director's call. In all honesty he wasn't surprised when I told him my decision.

Next I had to call Charlie and speak to him. He took it very well. In fact he was actually proud of me for, and I quote, "Being the man he always knew I was and being there for his little girl when she needed me the most." I confess I felt more confident in my choice after speaking to him.

By the time I made it to the last phone call, my Dad, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and have him put it on speaker so that Mom could hear me too. Both were very understanding and supported my decision completely. Mom even got a little teary-eyed towards the end telling me she always knew how much Bella meant to me and that this just proved it even more.

I even went so far as to make a few appointments with my dad to get my meds and the hopeful progress they were making, checked out. Everyone that was even remotely important in my life took my news very well. I prayed Bella would take it as well.

It was going on ten o'clock and Bella still had not come out of the bedroom, so I went back in to check on her. Walking in I saw she wasn't in the bed. I knew she hadn't left the room because she would have had to pass by the office door. Slowly I made my way to our bathroom, and knocked gently. After a few seconds her soft 'come in' filled the air, but she couldn't mask the break in her voice when she answered.

Opening the door I found her covered up to the bottom of her chin in bubbled bath water. She looked so sad and I could tell she had been crying. I made my way over to the edge of the tub and slowly sat down beside her. "Baby are you alright?" I watched as her bottom lip trembled and she quickly shook her wet head. The tears started flowing before she even spoke. "I'm so tired Edward. I'm tired of being scared, I'm tired of crying, I'm tired of worrying about everything. I just want this to be over with so we can move on with our lives."

"Bella it will get better I swear. Emmett and your dad are going to catch James and he will be brought to justice." She wiped her face with her wet hand before I tentatively continued. "Bella, how would you feel if I were home more?" She just looked at me as though she hadn't heard me correctly, "What do you mean? I'd love for you to be home more, but you know I understand that work has to come first. People are counting on you." Her sniffles as she continued to cry broke my heart. She really thought that my work was the first thing in my life. "Baby, you will always be the most important person in my life, that will never change." I ran my fingers gently down her cheek feeling the soft satiny texture of her warm skin. "I am so sorry that I have lost sight of my priorities and made you feel anything else than number one in my life."

Bella's beautiful bottom lip poked out as she tried heard to stop the tears from flowing, tilting her head a little before she spoke. "I love you Edward more than anything in the world and I know you will always be there to take care of me." After clearing my throat a little I decided it was best to just dive in to give her the big news, "Bella, I've asked to be taken off your case." I watched as Bella's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. I was sure she would beg me to reconsider, but I rushed forward not allowing her to speak just yet. "Baby, it's all getting far to personal recently. With the phone calls, and then there is my health to deal with, I just think we would be better off if I scaled back a bit." Her hands had found mine and were now gripping my fingers tightly but I still wouldn't allow her to say anything. "The agency is more than willing to work with us. I've already talked to the director and he's sending an agent that I've worked with before down to take my place."

My mouth was in overdrive because I couldn't stop talking. If I stopped talking then Bella would have a chance to jump in and tell me what a horrible mistake I was making and how I was letting her down. If she said that it would destroy me. "I won't be able to just up and stop working right away…there will be a transition time as he picks up for me. But Emmett will be the lead agent, and your dad will still be very involved of course. It just kills me Bella to think of you here alone and I can't protect you like I should be and…" her wet soapy hand reached up and covered my babbling mouth. "You wonderful, sweet, loving, amazing man." Quickly she sat up and wrapped her arms around me, soaking me in the process.

Pulling back slightly from all of the kisses she was raining on my face I looked at her seriously, I had to be certain I understood correctly. "You mean you aren't angry with me?" "Angry? Edward I know how hard of a decision this must have been for you. For you to have even been willing to do this, much less to have actually acted on it…how could I ever be angry with you?" I pulled her body snuggly back against my own, water be damned, she was alright with this decision and I was going to enjoy this feeling while it lasted. "I swear I'm only doing this for our well being sweetheart. If you ever get to the point where you aren't comfortable with the changes please just tell me and we'll come up with another solution."

By the time we separated I was soaked from neck to waist, front and back, but I didn't care. For the first time since I started this case I felt like I actually knew exactly where I was supposed to be. Bella was giggling as we pulled apart running her hands along the shoulders of my soaked shirt. "I'm sorry Edward, I hope you didn't plan on wearing that all day?" "No, actually I was going to take a shower and then get dressed," I said giving her my best crooked grin that she loved so much. "Well, there's definitely room for two in here," she said as she pulled me closer to her, "and the water is still plenty warm. If you'd like to join me that is?"

Needless to say I couldn't rip my clothes off fast enough to join her as she burst out laughing at my enthusiasm.

* * *

The next morning I got up, dressed, kissed Bella soundly goodbye and headed down to the station. It would take about a week to completely transition the new agent in, updating him on everything we knew so far. But I knew the agent the director was sending and trusted him completely. He was a good guy and an even better field agent.

Alec Mazo was a real story all his own. He was born in Italy to an American father stationed there with the United States Marine Corp and an Italian mother. If his story were to stop there it wouldn't be so special, but of course like any good drama, it didn't. His mother is the granddaughter to Marcus Volturi, head of the Italian mob.

You might ask how anyone with even the slightest hint of a connection to a mafia family could be allowed to join the FBI? Well a lot of pull from his mother's family, and the fact that whether or not you are proven wrong in the end, you can't be held responsible for your family's past deeds. Word on the wire was also that as Marcus got older and the fact that his great-grand son was part of a law enforcement department, he was actually trying very hard to keep his nose clean and carry on as many legitimate business dealings as possible. Now that's not to say his "other" dealings stopped completely, but out of respect for his granddaughter and great-grandson he never allowed them to filter over to America where it might affect Alec's position.

Next to Emmett and Jasper, Alec would be classified as one of my closest friends when I was in the academy. At first glance you probably thought he was just a playboy. Standing at 6'5, 220 pounds, his olive skin tone and jet black hair screamed Italian. But once you got past the outside exterior, and the fact that he could speak Italian as well as any native born, he was actually a very big kid at heart. It really was like having another Emmett around. In fact I often had to be more on my toes when they were around one another because the wise cracks and joking would be endless once they got going.

But once it came down to work, Alec was like a bulldog with a bone at his job. It absolutely ate him up inside when a case didn't work out the way he thought it should. He really did work tirelessly to bring justice. He was so good at his job in fact that after just six months in the field he was placed in the cold case division. Now some might think that this would be considered a demotion, but really only the most dedicated and those who show the most attention to detail were placed in this division. It required you to be able to put together pieces of a puzzle that could sometimes be years old. In the few years he's been with the bureau he's already closed fifteen cases that had been deemed dead. So I knew that with him and Emmett on the job, James didn't stand a chance.

"Alec!" Walking into Charlie's office I saw my friend seated at the desk staring intently at a file. I must of startled him because he immediately jumped from his seat causing it to tip backwards. "Shit, Cullen you scared the life out of me," he said as he stuck his hand out to grab mine. We patted each other on the back in a half handshake half hug sort of greeting, Emmett called it a bro-hug.

Looking down at Charlie's desk I saw Bella's file laying open. This didn't surprise me. Alec wasn't really one to wait around for instructions, he just sort of dove head first in and figured things out on his own most times. As he reached for the file he rubbed his neck showing his discomfort at being caught snooping. "Uh yeah, I sort of started without you. I hope I didn't step on your toes or anything."

I shook my head and patted his shoulder, "Nah man, it's fine. I knew you'd be raring to go once you got here. So how much do you know?" Alec righted his seat as I took the one opposite the other side of Charlie's desk. I knew what picture he was picking up before he even flipped it around to show me. It was the one of Bella's tattoo taken in the hospital the first night she was brought in. "Did this shit really happen to Bella?"

Alec, much like Emmett, saw Bella as a little sister. He was taken with her kindness and pure gentleness. And when she put him in his place at their first meeting by telling him in Italian "that her eyes were up here," after he proceeded to check her out, he absolutely adored her from then on out.

"Yeah. That was taken the night she was brought into the hospital, just after my sisters found her. It looks a lot better now that she's had time to heal, it's not so angry looking." My fingers slowly traced the outline of the wings on Bella's back. She was still self-conscious about the tattoo, but with me she let her guard down. Sometimes at night I'd lay there holding her as my fingers ran up and down each tiny feather painted on her back. The circumstances were no where near ideal for her getting the tattoo, but the fact that even James could see her true nature enough to deem her an angel, didn't escape me.

"She's made a lot of progress with dealing with everything that's happened so far, but we are both ready for this to be over with." He just shook his head in understanding before putting the picture back in the file. After closing it Alec pulled out his notepad and pen, "Alright, in your own words, tell me everything you know about this case."

I spent the rest of the morning filling Alec in on the specifics of the case. I was ready to turn this over to someone else to stress over for a while. I wanted to get back to my baby, my Bella.

BPOV

I sat down on the edge of our bed looking out the French doors leading to the patio. This was the first morning in a while that I had felt like I could take a really deep breath without it hurting inside. Yesterday, Edward told me that he was asking to be reassigned from my case. At first, to be completely honest, I was a little upset that he would have made such a drastic decision without me. But that moment passed quickly as my wonderful man tried hard to explain his actions. I had to stop him to put him out of his misery. It was obvious that he was worried that he had offended me by making the decision without me, as he began to throw out all of the reasons why it was a good thing and how it would be for our benefit in the long run. If it were possible I believe I loved him even more right then and I made sure to show him over and over…and over and over again, how much I loved him that morning and into that day.

I woke up this morning feeling strange. I can't really describe it, it was a good feeling though, but it left me feeling very anxious for Edward to get home…and soon. I decided to go downstairs to prevent my idle hands from finding "entertaining" things to do while I waited. Instead I opted to cook a bit. Since Emmett had taken to staying with my dad lately, instead of at his apartment in Seattle, my two bachelors were pretty much fending for themselves when it came to meals. True they had girlfriends and Sue and Rose were practically married to them, but they still pretty much lived off of take out.

So I decided that tonight I would invite them both over to join Edward and I for an old fashioned home cooked meal. Searching through the freezer I found exactly what I knew my three favorite men would love, steak. After setting them out to thaw I called Edward's cell and asked him to be sure to invite Emmett and my dad over. He told me that he had a surprise for me and if I didn't mind to set out room for one more. "Edward you know how I hate surprises," I whined. "This will be a good one love I promise."

After hanging up the phone I set out enough food for another and decided that if we were having company that I should probably try to straighten up the house a bit. The time certainly had a way of getting away from me and before I knew it, it was already five o'clock meaning Edward would be home soon. After setting the steaks up to marinade, I wrapped the baked potatoes and made a light salad before mixing up the sweet tea.

In the background I heard the slight buzz of the front gate alarming to let me know that it was opening, so I began setting the dining room table. It was only a couple of minutes later that the front door opened and I heard Edward's velvety voice calling my name. "In here Edward," I called from where I was just finishing the last place setting. I saw him peek around the corner at me giving me his signature crooked grin. "Are you ready for your surprise baby?"

"This better be good Edward," I said putting my hands on my hips as I watched him step away from the doorway. I couldn't believe my eyes or the squeal that left my lips as I rushed forward to hug Alec Mazo. "Oh my god, Alec what are you doing here?" I asked as he picked me up giving me a huge bear hug. "Hello my little Bella-rella. How's my favorite lil' firecracker doin?" I couldn't believe my eyes. It has to have been two years since we last saw him. I looked at his smiling face and honestly didn't know how to answer him. Somehow he knew that and just pulled me against him for a longer hug, "It's ok Bells, you know we won't stop till everything is set right."

And I did know that. I knew they wouldn't quit till justice was found, not only for me but for all the other women who had been affected by this mad man. The rest of the night was spent with good food and wonderful family time. Around midnight Dad, Emmett and Alec all excused themselves to head back to my dads. Alec would be staying with them until the case was settled or he decided to rent a place; that or Charlie got tired of the too goof-balls living under his roof.

As I got ready for bed the feeling from this morning was still there, only stronger. It made me feel good inside, giddy almost. It was like having butterflies tickling ever inch of my body and it felt wonderful. I heard Edward come into the room and listened as his bare feet shuffled softly over the carpet toward me. It felt like each step he took, every inch he got closer, my heart sped up that much more. By the time his hands actually began to caress my arms it felt like my body was on fire and tiny little electrical nips were being made against my skin everywhere he touched me. "Edward," I moaned softly as I leaned against his chest. He knew what that meant. I didn't have to say anything more. And I didn't. Slowly he lead me to our bed and we proceeded to show each other how much we loved one another until the early morning hours where I fell asleep safe in his arms.

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EPOV

I had no idea what had gotten into Bella lately. Granted, there was no way I was going to complain, but it was just so unlike her. Every chance we had we were making love. Since Monday I think my count was up to four times in the kitchen, which included once on the middle island; three times in the dining room - I'll never look at that room the same again; six times in the living room - I can't believe I actually said a prayer of thanks that we scotch guarded in there, lord knows Emmett would have never let me live that one down; we even did it twice in the back seat of my Volvo and we didn't even leave the drive way! None of this even took into account the times we made love in our "normal" places, the bedroom and the shower. It was like we couldn't get enough of one another, but I was loving it. My beautiful angel was insatiable and I was doing my very best to keep up with her.

In fact it was in pretty much that same situation I found myself as I desperately tried to fend off her tiny hands as they roamed over my body looking for any opening to expose more of my skin. Now I know what girls mean when they say "the guy was all hands," it was down right funny.

As I tugged one of her hands from my hair, her other hand was reaching for my shirttail. When I gently moved that hand, her other had moved towards my belt buckle. If I wasn't careful I'd never make it out of the door and to the office. It was one of the last few times I would have to be at the station house before Alec took over completely and I was ready to get it done with. I wanted to be able to focus solely on Bella and her well-being.

Going forward I would still be in the loop but the guys would be giving us updates by coming to the house rather than me working along side them. In the end after thinking about it, it really was the best decision. With July coming to an end I found I was more at ease knowing Bella was safe when I could see her and touch her, instead of just relying on hearing her voice only. Normally I loved August, but this year August was a bad omen for me. I actually found myself praying a lot more lately. I needed Bella to make it through August. I needed for her to be safe, I wouldn't allow James anywhere near her.

If you were an outside person looking in, I'm sure it seemed heartless of me to do everything in my power to make sure Bella made it through August. I mean if she made it through, that meant another girl would have to die in her place. But damn it, this was my other half, my soul mate, I would fight the devil himself to keep her safe.

Quickly I pulled Bella against me, securing my arms around her, successfully pinning her arms firmly to her body, trapping her. I couldn't help but laugh at her little pout as she squirmed to get loose. "Bella I love you with all that is in me, but I swear if you try to take my clothes off one more time I'm going to have to spank you, you little minx." Her eyes opened wide as she thought about what I said. As she bit down gently on her luscious bottom lip, I knew if I didn't bolt for the door now I would be a goner. Kissing her one last time I released her and opened our front door.

As I stood there looking at her, how could anyone expect a man to walk away from that? Her navy blue silk robe was tied loosely at the waist allowing me a subtle peek at the soft curve of the tops of her breasts. Her hair had grown out considerably in the past month and it was in that stage where all of her curl was full and bouncy causing my fingers to almost ache to run through it for hours. And I swear she was trying to kill me with the way she kept nibbling on her bottom lip as she looked at me through her lashes. Giving one last groan I finally made it out the door and to my car. Just as I had opened it and set my bag in the back seat Bella called to me. "I promise to let you spank me when you get home baby." With that she shut the front door with a giggle and I did my best to ease into the seat of my car all the while making adjustments for the massive erection I was currently sporting due to my tease of a fiancé.

BPOV

Edward had only been gone an hour when the front gate buzzer sounded alerting me that someone was coming up the drive. Since I knew we had only given that code to family, I wasn't too surprised when I saw Alice's Audi pull to the front door. I had just finished getting dressed so as I pulled my t-shirt down I rushed to the door to greet her, I didn't want her to have to knock. It actually surprised her as I barreled into her, giving her a huge hug. My energy this morning would have rivaled Alice's normal behavior. She noticed it as she held my hands grinning at me trying her best to calm me down.

"Bella, girl have you decided to switch back to caffeinated coffee?" I knew by her giggles that she liked my change in attitude. Bouncing up and down on the toes of my sneakers I couldn't wait to get her inside and tell her about everything that had been going on lately. So quickly I pulled her into the house and towards the living room where I told her "to sit and I'd be right back." I quickly threw together some fruit with caramel dipping sauce, a couple of bagels apiece and with butter, jam and cream cheese spread choices and a large mug of coffee with all the fixings and carried it back into the living room.

"Good lord girl are you planin' on feedin' an army or sump-thin?" I loved when Alice's accent kicked into gear. For Alice and Jasper's honeymoon they spent three days each in every state of the union. It seemed that the accents in Texas, North and South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and a few other states rubbed off on them. Ever so often when they got excited it would come out. Sitting the tray down I grabbed a blueberry bagel with some strawberry cream cheese, "I didn't know what you'd like, so I just grabbed a little of everything. Besides what you and I don't eat, Edward will inhale once he comes home."

Stuffing a large bite into my mouth I grew a little self-conscious as Alice continued to watch me devour my bagel and reach for another. "Wot?" I mumbled past the mouth full bread as I licked my lips of the delicious topping. "Bella are you pregnant?"

Throwing a question like that out at someone while they are trying to digest a mouthful of food is not a good idea. I started coughing to the point that if I hadn't of had my mouth closed by now I would have spit gooey bagel all over my living room carpet. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, "What in the world gave you such a crazy idea, Alice?" I grabbed my coffee and took a large gulp to help wash down my breakfast.

"Oh come on Bells, look at the clues. You are bursting with energy, your eating like a horse," I scowled and rubbed my tummy at her comment, I didn't think I was eating that much. "Plus you are practically glowing. So if you aren't pregnant then what gives?"

As I sat there thinking about Alice's question I really didn't know how to answer. I was 99.9% certain I was NOT pregnant. Not that being pregnant with Edward's child would ever be a bad thing. In fact just thinking about a little bronze-haired boy running around the house calling for me, his mommy, made me very happy to think about. But no I definitely was not pregnant. So if I wasn't pregnant then what was wrong with me?

"Honestly Alice I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been like this for days." I couldn't hide the blush that covered my face as I thought about what I HAD been doing for the past several days. Poor Edward, I was surprised he was even able to stand upright. Every chance I had I was taking off his clothes. It was like I couldn't get enough of him.

"It's hard to explain Alice. It's like I have these little buzzes of electricity running up and down my body. I swear I feel like I'm on fire whenever Edward touches me or even looks at me. It's so hard for me to concentrate on even the smallest things when he's in the room. And when he leaves I find myself doing just about anything to make the time pass faster till he's home." Alice had the biggest smile on her face that I swear if she were to smile just a little bit more her face would crack wide open.

"I even re-grouted the tub the other day to stay busy, Alice." She just looked at me bouncing slightly in her seat as she tapped her fingers together, waiting for me to finish, like she was just itching to tell me a secret. "Edward even ran from me this morning Alice," I pouted. "Alice I know you are dying to laugh at me so just let it out before you hurt yourself."

But she didn't laugh at me, she actually surprised me by pulling me into a hug before setting me back in my spot on the sofa to explain. "Oh sweetie, you are having your first love day."

"My first what?"

"Your first love day." I didn't know if this was something legitimate or if it was just an "Alice thing" so I hope she planned on explaining further.

"Love days normally hit women a few days, in your case, a week before their periods starts," she said nonchalantly as she checked out her nails. "It's perfectly natural sweety. We all have them. Although…" she paused as she looked at me further as though she were a doctor checking me over for an ailment, "it doesn't normally last a whole week. Are you SURE you aren't pregnant?"

"Alice," I scolded playfully swatting at her arm, "I swear, aside from Edward you would be one of the very first people to know if I were." She just continued to giggle as she went on further to explain the "love day" situation. Apparently women who have sex tend to feel this intense feelings normally for their mates as she said within a week before starting their periods. She assured me it was quite normal and that I should just enjoy it because I'd begin to feel more like myself very soon."

She made it sound like a cold I had to get over…I couldn't wait to tell Edward all about Alice's theory when he got home.

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EPOV

The end of the week had come and life around the house was blissfully normal. Alec and Emmett were working very hard on gathering new evidence on the case, they even had a few new leads they were tracking down that sounded very promising. Bella was in a wonderful mood all week long and I was reaping the rewards from it. She had only one blue moment. but seemed to get past it easily. It may seem like a small feat but she even started going out to our box and getting the mail by herself.

For a while after the phone call with James, Bella was terrified to leave the house. Even something small like going to get the mail or taking out a bag of trash to our bins near the road, was a scary task for her to accomplish. She started out by waiting for me to get home and asking me to go and do these things for her. Then when Jasper and Alice were able to encourage her out of the house when I needed her at the hospital, she seemed to get that much better. Eventually she got to the point that she would have me stand at the door and wait for her as she timidly made it out to the road. But she would still open the gate slowly, look out to be sure no one was there, run to the box and dash back all before the gate had time to slam shut. If it wasn't so sad to see her so terrified of what could "get her" it would have been funny.

But eventually she fought past her fears and now she was able to do these things without needing me to stand guard for her.

Bella was outside getting the mail while I was in our room stripping the bed to wash the sheets. I heard her sweet voice call to me as she came in through the front door to tell me I had a package. With the sheets in my arms I came down the stairs and dropped them off in the laundry room before coming back to pick up my package.

I realized what it was before I even opened it. I'm a creature of habit, I can't help it really. For years I've been wearing contacts and have been getting them through an online prescription service that delivers to your home. With my eye doctor being in Forks but me living, at the time, in Seattle with Emmett, it wasn't easy for me to make appointments and wait for my prescriptions to be filled. So I did the doctors visits but would have my order shipped to my home address.

I was do for a refill, but apparently because of my address change from my old apartment to our home, it took a little longer. So unfortunately I was down to having to wear my glasses. Although Bella found them incredibly sexy on me, to me they were a pain because they slid down my nose all the time. They were a hassle that I hated to put up with when I knew I had another option.

It was like Christmas morning as I ripped into the package to find my months supply in their little boxes. "Bella I'll be right back to put those on to wash," pointing towards the sheets sitting on top of the machine. "I'm going to go put these away and put a pair in ok?" She just laughed because she knew I hated wearing my glasses. I ran quickly upstairs to our bathroom.

BPOV

I decided to just go ahead and put the wash on for Edward instead of waiting for him. It's not like he's never done one of my chores for me before. Reaching over the machine I started the water running and reached for the powder. I was about to pour the cup in when I heard the most horrible sound I think I have ever heard in my life. I dropped the box spilling it's contents in the machine and all over the floor as I bolted for the stairs. My legs just wouldn't move fast enough underneath me as I mentally begged my body to move. I banged my knee on the stairs as I stumbled, clawing my way up towards our bathroom. I could barely breath as I finally made it to the door. There I found Edward writhing on the ground, clawing at this face, screaming my name begging me to help him.

"BELLA! BELLA! OH FUCK, OH FUCK IT HURTS! HELP ME! PLEASE! BELLA! BELLA!

I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what was wrong. All I could tell was that he was hurting and by the way he was clawing at his eyes it much of been something to with his face. Between his screams of my name and the way he was beating his body against the tile floor I wasn't sure what do to first. Seeing the opened contact box on the counter, I did the first thing that came to mind and prayed I was right. With all the strength I had in me I grabbed Edward's arms and hauled him into the tub with me, turning on the cool water before sticking his face under the faucet.

As I tried to hold Edward's struggling body still under the running water I reached into his pants pocket and grabbed his cell. This was one moment I cursed myself for not carrying mine around on me at all times, thankfully Edward never went anywhere without his. I called the only person I knew who could help us. "Carlisle, dear God, please come quick! I need your help, please! It's Edward, something is wrong with his eyes." "I'm on my way Bella, try to stay calm and keep him calm. Remember his heart."

As if I didn't have enough to worry about with the still thrashing man in my arms, how could I have forgotten his blood pressure problem. Shutting the phone off I held Edward close, doing the best I could to hold down his struggling arms. His hands were desperately reaching for his face but I had to keep his fingernails from reaching his eyes. Already he had deep scratch marks along his cheeks, I prayed he hadn't already done damage to his vision. As I continued to hold him and rock him gently under the water I spoke softly to him how much I loved him and that help was coming.

"Carlisle is coming baby, please Edward just hold on baby. Everything will be alright I swear it." He was openly sobbing now, he was in so much pain and all I could do was cry with him. It felt like an eternity before I finally heard the front door open with a bang and several pairs of feet come rushing up our stairs towards us. Not since that night in the hospital when I finally saw Edward's face, have I felt such an immense feeling of relief as I did at that moment. Carlisle only paused for a second in the door before rushing forward and grabbing Edward from me to assess his condition.

I looked up then and saw several other faces as well. Emmett and Jasper were standing just behind Carlisle, ready to help move Edward at the mere mention of Carlisle needing help. Esme was being held back by Alice and Rose. I watched her fight with her natural instinct to come to her child's aid and yet still allow Carlisle to care for him. If the roles had been reversed I'm not sure I would have been able to have the same amount of restraint.

Edward wasn't making any noises anymore and immediately I was worried at his sudden change. "Don't worry Bella I just gave him a sedative to knock him out." I watched as Emmett and Jasper carefully lifted Edward's drenched body out of the tub.

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A/N: I really didn't know how to end this chapter. Originally I was going to leave it a cliffhanger at Edward screaming Bella's name. But then I thought no that would be to cruel… you all have waited so patiently for this chapter, I won't do that to you.

_I hope that you don't mind where I left it off. I think I chose a good spot. _

_Let me say thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Over the past thirty-three chapters I've gotten some amazing comments made by you guys. Really to an amateur writer your comments and encouragement mean the world to someone like me. I really do appreciate what you give me in feed back towards the story. _

_Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you think. Now normally I would never ASK for reviews, I would just allow them to show up naturally in whatever quantity they come…but I would really like to hit at least 33 reviews for this chapter. I know that's an odd number but you see, my birthday is next Thursday and I'm going to be 33 years old. Help me celebrate it by giving me 33 HONEST (and yes I'd love them to be great) reviews…but I would rather them be honest than just blowing smoke up my tail pipe LOL._

_So come on my beloved readers…..give me at least 33 reviews…pretty please. _

_Here's an added bonus…to my reviewers…I'll give you a status update on Edward's condition if you do!_

_Love you one and all….absolutely!_


	34. Chapter 34

**Twilight is owned completely by Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown Publishing. No infringement on their rights was intended in the making of this story.**

_A/N: I did it, I did it! Or should I say YOU did it! I got my 33 reviews and then some. You have no idea how much all of those reviews meant to me. You guys are the very best, you know that right? I love how you all care so much for Edward and Bella, and it shows through your reviews. All I can say right now is that I do believe in HEA's, so please don't fear. _

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BPOV

_OH GOD! IT HURTS, BELLA! PLEASE HELP ME! _I jerked awake, nearly falling from my seat. I had been sitting in the hospital's waiting room for almost two hours now. Once Emmett and Jasper had gotten Edward out of the tub, Carlisle called for an ambulance. They didn't have enough room for me in the back with Carlisle riding along as his physician, so I rode with Emmett. We were right behind the ambulance the whole way, but even being that close to him felt like I was still to far.

Apparently Edward could tell the distance too, even in his groggy state. Carlisle said he woke up screaming my name. His eyes had to be bandaged and his arms restrained in order to be transported. So when he started to wake he was terrified, not being able to see and not knowing where I was, or if I was safe. By the time the ambulance reached the emergency bay to the hospital, Carlisle had to give him a much higher does of sedative and completely knock him out.

This helped but also hurt him. I didn't have a chance to ease his worries about my well-being before he was completely out. I know Edward. Even in an unconscious state I'm sure he's worrying about me.

Looking around the waiting room I realized several of our family were missing. Rosalie and Alice drove Esme, but now both Emmett and Rose were gone, but I didn't know where. Alice and Jasper had been cuddled up on the couch on the other side of the room but they were gone too. Esme was sitting next to me having put down her magazine she was apparently reading earlier. She must have realized my confusion, "Alice and Jasper are down in the cafeteria getting us something to eat. They will be back soon. Carlisle is still with Edward. He came out a few minutes ago and promised that they were almost done, so we should have an update soon."

On the outside Esme was calm, cool and collected. You would never know she was covering her tortured nerves if it weren't for the way she would constantly spin her wedding ring around and around her finger. "Emmett and Rose left to go back to the house. Unfortunately your laundry room is in pretty bad shape. But they wanted to stay busy until there was an update on Edward."

I remembered dropping the box of laundry powder when I heard Edward's screams. "Apparently your washing machine exploded. At least that's Emmett's version of what happened." She gave a small smile, Emmett always knew how to make Esme smile with his ways. "Rose's perspective was a little less dramatic. She did say at least there appeared to be no water damage from the flooded machine. Just lots of suds. So they are there trying to straighten everything there." I just nodded, grateful that my family always knew just how to come to our aid when we needed it most.

"How is your knee dear?" My knee. Looking down you would think I had been in a serious accident but really it was just a bad sprain. The bruising was worse than anything else. From the middle of my calf to about four inches above my knee I was covered in a deep purple and blue bruise. As I was running towards our bedroom, I banged my knee on the stairs pretty severely. Also when I pulled Edward into the tub my knee bent at an odd angle causing me to hyper-extend it. I could still walk on it but after the adrenaline stopped flowing from earlier it now hurt tremendously.

Carlisle had given me some pain killers to help with what pain was sure to come once I calmed down a bit. Unfortunately I don't handle medicines very well, they tend to make me sleepy, which is what led to my earlier cat-nap. "It's stiff, but I think I'll be fine. At least I don't have to worry about breaking my neck with crutches." This made Esme laugh, which I was glad, even if it was at my own expense. She is far to wonderful of a woman to be sad all the time, she deserved to laugh.

"Well I'm sure Carlisle will be wanting to give you a prescription for something once everything gets settled here. You know he hates the idea of seeing you in pain." Carlisle had been my primary care physician since I was seven years old. He had seen me through all of my uncoordinated moments. Every bump, scrap, broken this or that…he had been there. Thank God I still had my dad, but I was truly blessed to have Carlisle as well.

I couldn't stop myself from glancing at the emergency room doors which sat just across from the waiting room. If I could have I would have willed them open and pulled Carlisle out to tell us what was going on. Not being near Edward right now broke my heart. Even through the hustle and bustle of the busy emergency room I could still hear Edward's pleas in my head to help him. I had never been so scared in my life. Even more scared than… "Sweetie are you alright?" Esme's hand gently gripped mine as she scooted closer to me.

Her bright green eyes shone back at me. Edward had her eyes and right now looking at her made me want to cry. What if he couldn't see? What if I didn't move fast enough? What if… I couldn't sit and think about all the "what if's", they would drive me crazy if I did. "I was just thinking about how scared Edward was. He was begging me to make the pain stop. He was hurting Esme and I couldn't make it better. That was killing me inside to hear him pleading with me like that. I know you understand, right?"

Pulling me tight into her side she pressed my head to her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around me. "Yes sweetheart I know exactly what you mean. When you love someone as much as you love Edward, to see them in pain is almost to much. But it's been like that for you two since the very first day you met." I just nodded my head against her because I knew she was right. "Do you remember when he ran into your swing trying to dodge the football Emmett threw at him? What was your very first thought?"

"That he had gotten hurt."

"And when he saw you crying afterwards, even though he told you he was alright, do you know what his first thoughts were?" I just shook my head because Edward had never told me. "He was afraid that he had hurt your feelings or that you might think he was nerdy because he had messed up. He was terrified you wouldn't like him after that moment." I pulled back to look at her face, giving her my 'are you serious' look. "He came home that day and told me all about it. He was practically bouncing off the walls, he was so excited to tell me about the little brown-haired angel he had met at the playground that held his hand the whole way home." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that thought so I did a little of both. "He swore he'd never wash his hand again just because you held it."

"But it's been that way for you two all of your life. Neither of you can stand to see the other in pain. When you love someone like you two do, it's only natural to wish you could take that pain on yourself, just so they would feel better." I knew Esme was right. Whether it was a broken bone or a broken heart Edward would do anything to make me feel better and I would do the same for him.

Just as Esme was pulling me close for another hug, Carlisle came through the double doors to the emergency room. His green scrubs made his pale skin and blonde hair seem that much fairer. He walked quickly over to us running his hands through his hair much like Edward did when he was worried or tired. We both stood, me with a little difficulty, as he came to us. Carlisle rushed to my side to ease me back down to the sofa, "Bella please stay off that knee as much as possible. You will only aggravate it further if you don't take it easy."

I scoffed, "Enough with the knee, it's fine. How is Edward?" To me, my knee was trivial. My only concern was Edward. "He's out of surgery and in recovery." Esme and I both gasped. When had he been deemed bad enough to be moved to surgery? How had I missed that? Carlisle grabbed both mine and Esme's hands in his, "It's not as bad as it sounds. When we got here I called in a specialist to look at Edward's eyes to be sure there was no permanent damage done. When you pulled Edward into the tub and began flushing his eyes out Bella, you washed out the contact. That was very quick thinking. Apparently it was coated with something that ended up leaving a thin film over Edward's cornea, kind of like a cataract does to the lens of the eye." All we could do was nod our heads in understanding as Carlisle continued, at least so far it didn't sound to bad.

"Well since this problem was chemically induced, if left unchecked, it could possibly cause blindness. So the doctor went in and removed all of the substance by hand, rather than take the chance his body would dissolve it in time. The procedure is unfortunately going to make Edward's eyes very sensitive to light for a while. And because he had the substance on his hands when he put the contact in, he also came into contact with his other eye as well. But he's going to be fine. He'll just have to be very careful for the next few weeks until his eyes heal and he has time to readjust." I ran my free hand through my hair, pulling it slightly as I tried not to freak out. Edward could have gone blind if he had been exposed to whatever this was longer.

"We are going to keep him overnight, which I'm sure Edward is going to hate. But you'll stay with him, right Bella? Help me keep him calm so he can do a little healing before going home? It's really important he stays for observation so that we can monitor him and be sure he doesn't have any adverse side effects." Carlisle realized what a task he was undertaking in that area. Edward was like me, even though his father worked in a hospital he despised staying in one. He would not be happy with this news at all. But I would pull out all the stops to make sure he stayed put so he could be taken care of properly. And if his father said he needed to stay overnight then that was final, he was staying.

"Of course Carlisle. I'll do whatever it takes to keep him here. It's a small price to pay to ensure he's alright. Can I see him now, please?" I wasn't above begging if that's what it took. "He's being moved to a private room, and a more comfortable recliner is being set up there as well for you and Esme to stay if you'd like. You should be able to see him in about thirty minutes." Just as Carlisle was finishing up Alice and Jasper walked in, both carrying arm loads of supplies from the cafeteria.

"We weren't sure what you'd feel up to eating, so we got a little of everything," Alice said giving a sheepish smile. Jasper just stood beside her, arms overflowing with foods, grinning back at me. "Will Edward be allowed to eat regular foods Carlisle?" He just smiled and nodded, "Well then I'm sure he'll be wanting something to eat soon. He didn't eat breakfast and we've completely missed lunch."

As we sat down to wait for the short time to pass till we could see Edward, I overheard Alec's voice coming from the reception area asking where he could find Carlisle. The nurse had just pointed towards our way as Carlisle stepped towards him. They stood together briefly, speaking in too low of a voice for me to hear them, before joining us again. "Afternoon everyone. Carlisle was just giving me an update on Edward. I'm very glad to hear he'll be alright." I couldn't help but focus on the manila folder he was clutching. "I had a rush job put on those contacts we collected from your bathroom, Bella." So that's what he was holding, the results that would tell us what was used to almost blind my fiancé.

Everyone was attentive as he flipped the folder open and read from the report, "We tested the substance found in the contacts containers and found sodium hypochlorite solution, ethanoic acid, and sodium chloride." Jasper spoke up before Alec could explain further, "You mean to fuckin' tell me he was almost blinded by bleach, white vinegar and table salt? Shit you can find in your own house?" Alice turned to me and gave me a small smile before explaining, "Chemistry nerd." Alec just grimaced and nodded. "I've already notified Emmett and Charlie. Now I've got to let the director know what's going on. This isn't going to sit well with him. Having Bella attacked was one thing, that was personal enough, but now that this animal has brought Edward more into his little game…well the director I'm sure will feel that it's a personal attack on the bureau now. I have a feeling a lot more agents will be descending on Forks by the morning."

It felt almost stupid to ask the question, but I had to know for certain. I mean no one else hated Edward enough to want to blind him. "Alec, are you sure it was James?" He just looked at me and sadly shook his head. "The sick son of a bitch didn't even try to hide it. He tampered with every single package. His finger prints are all over it, both inside and out." I wrapped my arms around myself, trying desperately to hold it together a little longer. Edward needed me to be strong for him. There was no time to fall apart right now.

Carlisle excused himself and walked Alec out, once again speaking in hushed tones. I didn't care right now. I just needed to see Edward. I needed to hold him, to make sure he was alright. It felt like thirty minutes was taking forever to pass.

EPOV

The darkness around me was so heavy. Everything felt like lead. My head felt heavy every time I tried to move it. My arms felt like they were weighed down by bricks. No matter how hard I tried to blink all I saw was darkness. The more I woke myself from my groggy haze the more I began to panic. It was all starting to come back to me. I started to remember what had happened. The more I remembered the more I couldn't breathe. My heart was pounding in my ears and I realized that my arms weren't weighed down, they were strapped down. This freaked me out even more as I began to fight against them. I couldn't see anything and I was terrified.

"Bella! Bella!" My voice cracked, my throat was so dry. "Bella! Bella!"

"Mr. Cullen, please you have to calm down. Please don't struggle. You might hurt yourself, please sir!" Who the hell was that? I didn't feel like finding out. I just kept pulling on my arms screaming. "Get the fuck away from me. Who the hell are you? BELLA! BELLA!" I was beginning to hyperventilate and that made my head feel worse. My eyes felt like sandpaper had been scratched over them and there was no light, no movement whatsoever.

They say that when you loose one sense your other's naturally take over and become more sharp. I had no idea it was so instantaneous, but even past my heart drumming in my ears I could hear shoes running down the hall and they were getting closer. Suddenly a door swung open hard enough to hit the wall behind it and I heard my father's voice calling my name. It all suddenly made sense. I must be in the hospital, and the woman currently pulling at my arms must be a nurse. I was so relieved I recognized something, someone, I started to cry.

"Dad!" I felt his hands take mine, reaching over and un-strapping me from the bed. There's no way to describe completely how I felt. I went from terrified to feeling safe in a couple of seconds. I clutched his forearms and dragged him towards me. "Son, son it's alright. You have to calm down" I buried my face in what must have been his scrubs, they smelled like hospital soap, but they were soft. His arms wrapped around me gently stroking my hair like he did when I was little. I tried desperately not to break down and cry like a baby. My throat was so sore from screaming now that I was barely able to croak out a whisper, "Daddy, what's going on?"

"You are in the hospital son. Do you remember what happened at your house?" I did remember, and with that vivid memory my eyes automatically began to itch and burn. But even in my current state I knew I wouldn't be able to rub them, so I just pressed my face harder against dad's chest nodding that I remembered. "Son I need you to calm down enough for me to go and get Esme and Bella. They are just down the hall." "No! Please! Don't leave me!" Inside I knew I was being silly, there was nothing to be scared of. I had been in this hospital tons of times. But not being able to see, everything was louder and it sounded foreign, like I couldn't place the simplest noise.

"Son, they having been waiting a long time to see you." His voice was gentle, not scolding in anyway. I deserved scolding. Here I am a grown man clinging to his "daddy" for dear life. But that wasn't how my father behaved. I loved my father that much more for it too. Running his hand gently through my hair again I heard him softly speak to the nurse, "Amy, would you mind going to the waiting room down the hall and getting my wife and daughter-in-law?" Her answer came just as quickly as her exit, "Of course doctor." Just a few seconds later I heard the gentle click of my door as it opened and closed again.

I didn't like how I was feeling. It was difficult to get my breathing under control, but I was trying. It seemed like an eternity passed before I heard the gentle swish and click of my door again as it was opened. This time I could make out two pairs of shoes as they entered. One was a pair of flat dress shoes, that had to be my mom, and the other a squeaky pair of sneakers. I'd know that pair of shoes anywhere. My Bella.

We spoke at the same time, softly calling one another's names. I reached my hand out blindly towards the sound of her voice and she wrapped her fingers around mine. I felt my dad pull away as Bella stepped closer. The sound of a chair sliding across the linoleum floor told me my dad was moving a chair closer to my bed for my mom to sit. Mom's small hand slid into mine as she placed a warm kiss to my temple. Her perfume was always so subtle, but I'd know it anywhere. It was all so confusing. Feelings and sensations seemed to be coming at me from all sides. It was like seeing something you've known all your life again for the very first time, only this time everything was enhanced in some way.

The edge of the bed made a scrunching sound and dipped slightly as I felt Bella's hip press against my thigh telling me she had joined me on the bed. Her fingertips tickled the fine hairs on the back of my hand, but the sensation was wonderful. It was a while before anyone spoke. It surprised even me when I chose to speak up first, "So how bad is it?"

My dad's sigh sounded like someone who had been holding his breath for a while, that couldn't be a good sign. "Don't you want to wait until the surgeon who worked on you can speak to you himself? I only observed son." "No Dad, there's no one else's opinion I trust more than yours. Plus I know you'll give me all of the details and not sugar coat it. Please, I need to know what I'm up against."

I could make out the slight scrap of my chart being taken from the foot of my bed as well as the tiny vibration it sent through the bed as he moved. "Alright, but Bella you need to listen to this carefully too because I'm going to go over some strict rules for his aftercare as well." Her voice came out small and weak, "Of course Carlisle." Bella was tired and worried and it came out in the tone of her voice. I pulled her closer to me, gripping her hand tighter. If I had it my way she would be laying down with me instead of just sitting there.

"First off," why did Carlisle sound like he was gearing up for a fight? "You are being kept overnight, perhaps even a second night after that for observation." Immediately I opened my mouth to object but I felt Bella's hand cover my lips before I could get anything out. "There is no room for discussion about this Edward, do you hear me?" I felt Bella's hand slip from my mouth down my jaw line and around to the back of my hair. She gripped it tightly before I felt the warmth of her cheek pressed against mine. Her whisper was so faint that if I hadn't been listening so carefully I might have missed it. "Don't fight me on this Edward, please." Bella had been through more than enough for one day, so I just nodded my understanding. She kissed me just below my earlobe making me shiver slightly at the simple, yet intimate gesture before sitting back up.

"Second, we had to cover your eyes with patches do to a procedure performed to remove a coating that formed from the chemicals used on your contacts. Your eyes are going to be very dry and itchy for a while. Do not under any circumstances press harder on your eyes than a gentle rub. You don't want to do more damage than has already been done to them. A cool compress will help with this when it becomes too much to bear." I just listened carefully to my dad's instructions. It was so dark with these patches covering my eyes, but I understood why they were there.

"When you go home there is to be no strong light, at least for the next few days. That means nothing above a lamp light or television light. Your pupils aren't going to be adjusting as fast as they normally would, so we don't want to do any damage by letting in to much light to quickly. I'm also going to issue you a special pair of sunglasses to wear around the house but outside especially. Do not take them off except to bathe and sleep. After about three days you can reduce the wearing of them to just outside, but the lighting rules will still apply until you come back for a check-up in a week."

"Bella if you need me or have any questions you know you can call me at any time, right?" "Of course Carlisle, thank you so much for everything." I felt Carlisle's hand reach and gently grab my ankle. Not being able to see him do it I jumped at the contact. His voice was kind as he spoke, "Are you going to be alright for a little while son? I've got rounds and need to get started on them. Plus I'm sure Alice and Jasper are dying to get in here as well." I couldn't help but smile. If I knew my sister she was practically tapping at the door ready to be allowed in. Dad must of worked out something with the hospital to allow so many people in to see me at one time. I was eternally grateful.

"Of course dad, go…do what you need too, I'll be fine." I felt his hand grip the back of my hair and his lips press against my forehead before he whispered a good bye. "I'll be back before you go to sleep tonight, ok?" Reaching up I gripped his hand, "I love you dad." "I love you too, son."

I listened as the door swished softly and clicked signaling he had left the room.

BPOV

Carlisle hadn't been gone but a few seconds before Edward's hospital room door burst open again as Alice rushed in. I felt Edward tense up, gripping my hand harder at the noise. "Baby, it's just Alice." He released the breath he was holding and he flexed his fingers a little loosening his vice grip on my hand. I couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through right now. Not being able to see, plus being afraid on top of that, must be torture.

Carefully I helped Edward sit up in his bed before Alice pulled him into a giant hug. "Careful darlin' don't squeeze the life out of the man," Jasper chuckled before gently easing his wife back from Edward's side. Jasper was one of a kind. He picked up quickly that Edward had no sense of direction in his current state. Something so simple as a handshake had to be done differently around someone who couldn't see. And although Carlisle had promised me this was only temporary I still appreciated what Jasper was doing. He reached down and picked up Edward's hand, patting it gently as he shook it.

"It's good to see you looking better Edward." Edward spoke with a slight chuckle, "I wish I could say the same, bro."

Alice and Jasper stayed a little while visiting before Edward started to yawn. She had brought in her armful of treats from the cafeteria and Edward decided that the milkshake and chicken sandwich would last him till morning. I promised him Chinese tomorrow for lunch if he behaved and of course he promised to be a good boy. After Alice and Jasper both said their goodbyes, Esme got comfortable in the recliner beside the bed and I allowed…ok maybe allow is not the right word, more like willingly melted into Edward's embrace as he pulled me down beside him on his bed. I was exhausted and I knew Edward couldn't have been fairing much better. His nerves had to be shot.

Just as I had kicked my shoes off to put my feet up on the bed, the door to Edward's room opened revealing Carlisle again, this time carrying sheets, a blanket and a pillow. I doubted he'd scold me for being in the bed with Edward. After all he did tell me to do whatever was necessary to keep Edward in the hospital and calm while he healed. But I couldn't help the blush that covered my cheeks at being caught in my current position. "I figured I'd find you two still here." Edward again jumped slightly at his father's voice. It must be so disorienting realizing someone was in the room after they were already right on top of you. I squeezed his hip gently to reassure him before looking at Carlisle again as he continued speaking. "Esme I brought you and Bella an extra pillow, blanket and some scrubs too. I wasn't sure if you'd want to change into someone a little more comfortable to sleep in than what you currently have on." Looking down and realized that I was still wearing the same clothes I had on earlier. They had long since dried but the shorts now were stiff and course feeling to the touch. So I accepted the change of clothes gratefully.

I eased out from under Edward's embrace as he whimpered at the loss of contact. Kissing him gently and whispering, "I'll be right back my love," I went to change in the bathroom, when I came out I caught the tail end of Carlisle telling Edward what it was that James had put on his contacts. "Oh my god," his hand reflexively reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose but he caught himself before he did it. Instead he turned towards where I was standing, apparently having realized I came out of the bathroom. "Bella, baby, why didn't you tell me?" The sadness on his face was almost to much to bear. I was also a little confused.

"Why didn't I tell you what, Edward?" Carefully I made it over to his bed and stood beside him waiting for him to answer. If I had done something wrong I wanted to know what it was. He frowned, the corners of his mouth dropping significantly, his brows furrowing closer together, the tilt of his head slightly to the side like he was saying, 'come on Bella don't play dumb with me'. Finally he spoke, "your knee, why didn't you tell me."

I stomped my good foot on the floor and turned to the man I knew had betrayed me, "CARLISLE! How could you. Doesn't he have enough to worry about without worrying over my stupid knee?" The poor man, he actually jumped at my outburst. I have never raised my voice at either Carlisle or Esme, since they have always been like parents to me, so this must have come as a great shock to him. He raised his hands in surrender, "I swear I didn't bring it up. I wasn't even going to say anything to him about it till later, just like you asked." Edward's small gasp of shock brought my attention back to him. "You asked him to hide this from me? Bella, really?"

I didn't have to see his eyes to know he was hurt by my decision. "Edward you've got enough to worry about right now, besides it's just a stupid bruise. I'll be fine, really." I heard Carlisle clearing his throat softly near me and I knew I was busted, "A stupid bruise. Bella, you hyper extended your knee. Dad said it was serious enough that you could have actually torn a ligament if it had been just a slight bit worse." I was surprised at Edward's outburst. Normally he was so calm and collected around me, but right now he was livid. "And you did it while helping me. How much of a jackass do you think that makes me feel right now?" That was like a slap in the face.

"Edward Anthony Cullen," I was pissed so I grabbed his jaw and as gently as I could turned his face towards me so he was 'looking' at me. "Don't you EVER say anything like that ever again to me. I'd fight the devil himself if it meant helping you in the smallest way. I am yours and you are mine, do you hear me." My face was so close to his I could feel his breath against my cheeks, I tried to soften my voice as I continued. "So I've got a bum knee right now. But don't you realize, all I could think about, all I could worry about was getting to you?" Gently I caressed his face, smoothing out his eyebrows that were still furrowed together. "You are my life Edward, without you I don't know how to exist. You are everything to me baby, don't ever forget that." Softly I kissed his lips before he buried his face in my hair pulling me into a tight hug.

Today needed to come to an end. We had been up against to much today and we all needed a rest. Carlisle helped to ease Edward back into his bed before kissing Esme and saying goodnight. He was on the night shift so he would be checking in on us often. I climbed into bed beside Edward and did for him what he would have done for me in the same situation. I pulled him into my arms, his head laying on my chest, his arms around my waist and sung softly to him our song until he finally allowed his body to sleep.

* * *

JamesPOV

_Rewind_

BELLA! BELLA! OH GOD PLEASE HELP ME! BELLA!

_Rewind_

BELLA! BELLA! OH GOD PLEASE HELP ME! BELLA!

_Rewind_

Shit, that has to be the best part of the whole thing. The angle of the camera in the bathroom gave me a front row seat to watch Edward as he put those contacts in. It really was a stroke of pure genius on my part. When I heard him making the order over the phone a week ago I couldn't help the thought that popped into my head. The little shit had to pay for what he did and what better way to do that then to play a little prank on him.

But it wasn't as easy as you may think. I had to be outside their home, hiding in those woods for three damn days before the mail was delivered that carried that box. Then I had to get across the street, get the box, and get back into hiding, doctor them up a bit with 'James' secret elixir', then put them back in the box to be 'delivered'. Come on, you gotta give me credit for all the hard work I put into that. PLUS I did it all without being caught.

What I guess I didn't count on was Bella being there to help him when it started to kick in. Switching to the other camera I had to give her credit, she made it up those stairs pretty damn quick, even with how adorably clumsy she is. And in a bind she's strong as an bear. She lifted Edward off of his knees and into that tub pretty damn quickly even with him fighting her. She's definitely got some fight in her.

BELLA! BELLA! OH GOD PLEASE HELP ME! BELLA!

_Rewind_

I can't help laughing. That really is the best part. Big, bad FBI Agent Cullen, reduced to a wailing baby on his bathroom floor. Serves the shit right. He's done nothing but make this harder on himself. It's really his own fault if you think about it. If he had just stayed out of my way, if he had just kept his hands off of Isabella, if he had just kept his nose out of my business, I'd be in Canada right now or South America with my angel and he would never have to hear from me or about me again.

So really he deserves everything he has coming to him. I was almost finished with my little note to our new playmate. It's no where near as easy as they make it look to be on TV. I mean seriously have you ever tried FINDING enough letter's in magazines to make out a note much less cutting them out one by one, and then pasting them to paper?

Snickering I couldn't help myself, I really am quite creative even if I do say so myself.

* * *

AlecPOV

The next morning just as I had predicted five more FBI agents descended on the little town of Forks, Washington. The director did take it as a personal attack on the bureau when Edward became involved, in fact he was even going to make a trip down later this afternoon to check up on him and Bella personally.

Emmett and I were currently in a meeting with the new agents, getting them up to speed on the details of this case. I wanted this asshole caught and I wanted it done now. Don't get me wrong, I know Emmett and Edward attacked his thing just as strongly as I would have, but they really were to close to all of this. I love Bella dearly, she's a wonderful girl, but she's not my sister and she's not my fiancé, I had the ability to look at it all a bit more objectively.

We were just finishing up the briefing when an officer came in carrying a plastic bag. I noticed the gloves on his hands and thanked god again that Charlie kept everyone here up on correct procedures for evidence handling. "Agent Mazo, this was taped to one of the patrol cars outback. It had your name on it." Pulling out my own gloves and putting them on I took the note from the officer before setting it on the conference table in front of me. As I peeled it open carefully I felt Emmett come up beside me. "Shit, looks like you've gotten his attention."

In front of me, glued rather crudely to a plain white piece of paper, was a note from James.

Welcome Agent Mazo… I hope you are a lot more fun than cullen and

swan are too play with! But be fair warned bring in anymore players

to my little game and they might have to fair similar consequences

as Edward did. He was a naughty boy bringing you in without asking me

first. But don't worry I won't forget eddie

he can still play with us!

_

* * *

_

A/N: Dun dun dunnnnnn! LOL So what do you think? I couldn't let you guys forget James is still out there. Besides he's begging to be able to speak and tell "his" side of the story.

_Thank you so much to all of my wonderful readers, especially the anonymous ones. I'd like to say a special hello and thank you to all of them. I can't write you back when you review, fan fiction just isn't set up that way I guess…but I really appreciate when you take the time to send me a note to let me know what you think. _

_I have a new request of all of you, both anonymous and my regular, faithful, loyal, wonderful readers. Is there anything so far that we've covered that you'd like to see an outtake of? I've never really done outtakes before, but then again I've not written many stories yet either, just a few one shots here and there. But I've been thinking about this and I was wondering if we've covered anything yet you guys wish had been more detailed than it was? _

_If so let me know in your review and I'll definitely consider it. _

_Thank you again for being so wonderful and continuing to read my story. It really does mean a lot to me._

_Love you lots,_

_Melissa _


	35. Chapter 35

**Twilight is owned in it's entirety by Mrs. Stephenie Meyer and all rights are reserved to her and Little, Brown Publishing. NO infringement was intended in the making of this story.**

_A/N: Thank you to all of those that sent me a review. I've been horrible at responding I know and I'm really sorry about that. Normally I try to answer every single one of them, even if it's just with a simple thank you. But I've been so busy with school (very depressing subject) and this chapter has given me major writers block…thus the REALLY late update. _

_I hope some where deep down, even though this chapter is pretty crappy, you'll be able to forgive me?_

_Thank you for continuing to read…I really do appreciate it!_

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BPOV

Two days Edward had to stay in the hospital before he was released. If Carlisle had his way he would have been sent home after the first day, but the specialist decided he needed to stay a little longer. Edward was miserable and he was making everyone else miserable too. The hospital was nothing like home. Edward had a wonderful sense of direction, when he was in a familiar setting. But put him in a hospital and there was no telling where he would end up.

He was not restricted to his room. Carlisle said he could come and go as he pleased, as long as he carried around a portable heart and blood pressure monitor and had someone with him at all times. Emmett called it his man purse, which Jasper loved, but Edward - if he could have rolled his eyes - would have done so. So I did it for him…even though it was a little funny.

Normally I never left Edward's side, but today around five, I stepped out of the room for a minute to call Esme. In that short time Edward had gotten up to use the bathroom and thought he had chosen the correct door. By the time he realized he hadn't and had actually stepped out into the hallway, he was so turned around that he ended up walking into a waiting elevator.

It was like a bad comedy show really. He ended up on the maternity ward with his head pressed against the glass displaying the newborns, waiting for someone to find him. He figured if he stopped moving, someone would come looking for him eventually.

Inside I was miserable for him. I hated it and I hated that it made him feel so incapable. Edward has always been independent. He didn't NEED my help before, he just accepted my help lovingly because that's just how we are towards one another. It was a hard transition for him to now NEED my help, even with something so small as just walking into another room. Once we got home it would be better. Edward had learned our home like the back of his hand.

I wrapped my arms around him as we stood in front of the glass, me looking at the new babies, describing different details about them, while he listened intently. It wasn't until a sob broke from his chest, that I realized how upset he really was by all of this. As quickly as possible I led him down to the middle court yard for some privacy. We sat and talked while he tried his hardest to calm down. This was the side of Edward that normally only his parents and I were privy too.

"I feel so lost Bella. What am I going to do if my eyesight never comes back like it once was? What if I can't see your face? What if I can't work again? OH GOD, what about when we have kids? Will you even want to have kids with a blind man?" I had to stop his rant, he was painfully pulling at his hair as he poured his fears out to me.

I gently pulled his hands from his hair and crawled into his lap, straddling him. Slowly I kissed the palm of each hand, then the patches covering his eyes, his cheeks, and finally his lips before speaking. "Edward, you are the love of my life. Where you go, I go. What affects you, affects me. I will love you until I take my final breath and nothing will ever change that, do you hear me? If that means that we have one baby or ten babies, I'll always want them to be YOUR babies. And if all you ever see of me again is one big blur, well then I'll make damn sure that blur is the best looking blur you've ever see." By now Edward was doing a combination of chuckling and crying, "You and I are a team. We've faced everything difficult in life together and we aren't going to stop that now. So don't worry about your sight. You will be fine," his bottom lip trembled as he tried hard to reign in his emotions. "Before you know it, I'll be staring into those emerald green eyes again and I'll see all the love you've always shown me shining back at me. I have no doubt of that."

His fingertips gently caressed my cheeks down to my lips before he pulled me in closer to kiss me, his fingers acting like a place holder as he found me. "You are far to good to me Bella, I'm not sure I really deserve it. I feel like a blubbering idiot who can't stop crying." Sometimes with Edward you have to just let him get it all out and in the end he's fine. So I just pulled him into my arms and held him as tightly as I could. Everything would be alright.

AlecPOV

The note James sent "greeting" me to the group was sent to head quarters for analysis. Emmett was working on a hunch about the area that Bella was found in and I was doing some digging into James' financials as well as a few other things. But no matter what I did I couldn't seem to tear myself away from that damn note.

Why would he welcome me on the case? Was he just being cocky and hoping to goad me into making an error. And when did he find out that I had joined up? No one really even knew my name, I thought, outside of the police department. I really hadn't been here long enough for anyone to really know my position here other than the officers. So how did he know, and how did he know my connection to this case? Did he get his information from one of us? Was it possible that he could be watching us?

I didn't like things like this that couldn't directly be explained. It was like having an itch that drove you nuts but you couldn't scratch. I was scanning over some documents that the home office had emailed to me when Emmett ran into the room. Apparently it was what he was reading as he rushed towards me that had gotten him so excited. "I think I have something. I think we might have caught a break!"

EPOV

Finally I was being released from this god forsaken place. No I shouldn't say that, because it's not. I just really hate being here. I am sure if I were on the other side of things like my dad then it wouldn't be so bad. But I had my fill of being the patient, I want to go home. I want to sleep in my own bed. I want to take a shower in my own bathroom. And most of all I'm sick and tired of take out. I can't wait to have something Bella cooked.

For the past two days she's never left my side except for a few minutes here and there to take care of personal needs. Mom, Alice and Rosalie all knew there was no way they were going to get her to leave me so they made a routine of bringing her fresh clothes, and us both meals. Hospital food is the pits. How they ever expected a sick person to get well eating that stuff was beyond me.

I was currently sitting on the side of the bed waiting for Bella to come out of the bathroom. We were going for a walk when she was done and hopefully going downstairs for a milkshake. That was one perk to my stay here, the hospital cafeteria was home to one of the best tasting milkshakes I've had in a long time. It was so good it almost made up for the other stuff they served…almost.

"Darn it," I heard Bella softly say from inside the bathroom. "Bella are you alright?" It was hard to keep my voice steady and not immediately assume the worst, but without being able to see yet and it being Bella I couldn't help it. "Yeah, I'm fine." "What's wrong?" The silence filled the room and for once it was really uncomfortable. Bella hadn't answered yet. "Bella, please don't make me freak out about this."

"Could you do a favor for me Edward?" Slowly I rose from the bed being sure to keep my hand on it to keep my bearings. "Of course, what do you need?" I could hear her hesitation about asking me for help and part of me wondered if it was because she didn't think I could do it. "Would you mind handing me my toiletries bag? It's in the duffle bag by the door."

Carefully I reached from the bed, took two steps forward and found the door. After my little journey to the maternity ward yesterday, Bella was determined that I would at least know my way around the room. So for three hours yesterday she helped me memorize distances and sounds of certain things moving till I felt pretty confident of my immediate surroundings. The handle to the door leaving my room was an upright hook handle so you didn't have a knob to turn. Once I found that I knew it was just a matter of following the door to the end of it and sliding down to the floor to find the bag. After finding the bag I just retraced my steps. The doorknob to the bathroom was much like the one on the door to leave except it laid flat. This was the first thing Bella pointed out to me when we got back to the room. I opened the door slightly as to still give Bella her privacy. It's kinda funny I guess, I mean it's not like I could see anything anyway. But it was still the principle of the matter.

I called her name softly to get an idea of where in the bathroom she was. It wasn't a very large bathroom but there was a bit of distance between the door, sink, toilet and shower. "Take three steps directly forward, love." _Toilet._

I felt Bella's hand take mine as she grabbed the bag. I never stayed in the bathroom with Bella. She was the same way with me. Unless we asked one another to stay or come in, we always treated bathroom time as privacy time. So as quickly as I could I retraced my steps back out to the room and closed the door. It wasn't long after I had settled down that I heard the water for the sink running and Bella coming out.

It was all very strange really. It was like watching a private movie going on behind your eyes. I could follow her footsteps as her sneakers squeaked slightly across the floor when she walked towards the door. The zipper to the duffle bag sounded twice as loud as did the rustling when she put her toiletries bag back in. I could almost picture her doing all of these things in my head. So I wasn't surprised when I felt her hand slip into mine as she sat down beside me. In fact I scooted over slightly anticipating her joining me.

It wouldn't be long now before Carlisle would come to get us so that I could be released to go home. Bella sighed softly before speaking, "Well Alice is going to be disappointed. Looks like no little niece or nephew running around for her to spoil just yet." _Ahh. Now it makes sense as to why she was so hesitant about asking for my help. It wasn't uncertainty in me, she was embarrassed. _Bella has always been a very private person where this topic was concerned."You started?" I said softly to her. I heard her sigh and knew my answer. I don't think any woman particularly looks forward to this time of the month. I hated it and I didn't even have to deal with it. "Why would Alice be disappointed though?"

"She was certain that I was pregnant." _Pregnant. Why on earth would Alice think Bella was pregnant? Did she know something I didn't? _"Before you get all worked up, I wasn't. Alice just got it into her head that my 'overly excited behavior' this past week was because of pregnancy hormones or something." _I missed that Bella. _All we had done in the past few days was to kiss and cuddle. I guess neither of us really wanted to get more involved than that in a hospital where people were coming and going all the time. Plus her period would put a damper on any sexual relations that I might have talked her into once we were home.

There really wasn't more time to talk about it because Carlisle chose that time to come in. "Well I've come to spring you early Edward. I've got your discharge papers and your ride," I could hear his hand patting the seat of what I'm sure was a wheelchair, "so if you are ready we can get you home." I was more than ready, no milkshake was good enough to keep me here longer than necessary. Carefully I stepped towards the chair. Bella's hand left mine just as Carlisle's gently gripped my other hand and forearm. The gentle scratching of the pen Bella was holding against the discharge papers told me we were ready to get out of here.

As we left the room several nurses said goodbye as we passed. It was nice that they cared but I was ready to be home. The closer we got to the front door the more anxious I was getting. I could tell the moment the fresh air hit my face. It was like every part of my body just relaxed. I was going home and I couldn't have been happier.

BPOV

I was so happy that Edward was able to go home today. Why oh why couldn't my period have held off one more day though? It had been three days since we had done more than kissing and it was causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter furiously. I would definitely have to find time to take care of myself when we were home. We had just pulled up to the gate to our lane when Emmett's blue sedan pulled up behind me. He followed me up the drive and both he and Alec got out together.

"Hey you guys." Emmett rushed forward and wrapped me up into a hug lifting me off my feet. My big brother really was like a walking teddy bear. I watched as Edward's head tilted slightly listening. He had been doing that a lot lately, picking up sounds to better understand what was going on around him. In fact he had gotten so good at it the past day or so that when someone touched him he rarely ever flinched now. Alec took his outstretched hand shaking it and patting his shoulder. Emmett went and grabbed the bags as I took Edward's arm and wrapped it around my own. The specialist said that this was the best way to lead him whenever he needed it so that he was more likely to step with me, rather than after me.

I spoke softly, hoping I wasn't embarrassing him, "Three steps then the porch, about eight steps and then the front door, then one small step up and we are in the house." Edward lightly kissed my temple before whispering back, "wherever you go, I'll follow."

We made it into the house without any trouble. I led Edward to the couch as Emmett ran upstairs with the bags. Alec had taken a seat across from us obviously waiting for Emmett to return. I have learned to hate manila folders. They always held news in them and I was always torn about if I wanted to hear it or not. Edward started to get up and I quickly followed to help him. "No, love. I can do this. I just want a drink from the kitchen." "Are you sure? I don't mind getting it for you." "No baby I've got to learn to do this on my own. You can't wait on me hand and foot." He gently stroked my cheek before kissing the corner of my mouth and slowly walking away.

It really was amazing to see him navigate the room. Just when I thought he would hit his shin on the edge of the coffee table he moved just enough to dodge it. I thought he would forget there was a slight step up from the living room to the hall but he didn't miss a step. Emmett was just coming down the steps as Edward was passing him, about to say something to him, but I waved him off before he could. A little laugh came from Edward as he stopped in his tracks, "stop hovering Bella, I'm alright." Darn it, how did he know I was following him? Emmett wrapped his arm around me as I slowly made my way back to the living room, watching Edward as he made his way into the kitchen.

It's odd how time seems to stand still when you are waiting for something to happen. It felt like an hour had passed rather than just a couple of minutes as I waited for Edward to call for my help. But he never did. In fact when he returned he had an arm full of drinks, one for each of us. To someone else I'm sure it was ridiculous to even think this, but I was so proud of him. He remembered that Alec was sitting in the chair across from us so he made his way over to him and offered him a soda can. He surprised me when he softly lobbed a can directly at Emmett telling him to "catch" as he did. I was gaping at him once he found his seat next to me as he placed our drinks on the coffee table.

Somehow he could sense my state of shock because he just chuckled at me before explaining, "Em always sits there, it's his favorite chair, plus it's closest to the TV. That and the chair shifts when he moves around, so I knew someone was sitting there."

He would never cease to amaze me.

EmPOV

Edward and I had been pulling our hair out trying to get some break in the case. With everything that had happened lately, especially with Edward leaving the case and his accident, I felt like I had to pull the weight for two in this case. But Edward was like a brother to me, plus he was going to marry my sister, so I didn't mind at all. In fact I felt like I owed it to them both to make some headway to catching this guy. What I found felt like more than just a break, it felt like the mother load. If we acted fast enough we could maybe even catch this asshole. But, again, we had to act quickly if I was right.

Alec and I had left the station heading towards the hospital to speak with Edward and Bella when I found out from Carlisle that he had been released early. So we doubled back and headed towards their house instead. We were just in time because Bella had just finished putting the code to the gate in when I pulled up behind her. Following them in I parked right behind her and rushed out to say hello. I grabbed Bella up into a tight bear hug. She said my hugs were probably her favorite because she always felt safe with me. She is my baby sister and I would do anything for her. I grabbed the bags she had from the back of the car and watched and she carefully lead Edward up to the house.

I knew even as a little kid that Edward was meant for Bella and Bella for him. They were inseparable. Edward wouldn't even go camping if it meant Bella couldn't come along. They were just that way with one another. But it worked for them. So when I heard him whisper to her, "wherever you go, I'll follow," I knew he meant more than just into the house.

I didn't figure Bella would want to leave Edward so I rushed upstairs to their bedroom and put their bags on their bed. When I came down I saw Edward walking towards the kitchen area with Bella quietly following behind him. I was about to say something, I mean the guy was walking through the house like his eyes weren't still covered. It was pretty cool to see actually. But Bella waved me off before I could speak up. The next thing I know Edward called Bella out on her following him. I swear the guy must have bat hearing or something because she wasn't making a sound.

Wrapping my arm around her shoulder I pulled her back to the living room. She went begrudgingly and fidgeted the whole time till Edward returned. Personally I thought he was handling the whole situation pretty damn good. I mean he could be off sulking somewhere because of what had happened to him. Instead he was actually trying to be productive and not let it slow him down. I admired him for that.

When he did come back his arms were full of soft drink cans. I watched as he handed one to Alec. He surprised me more by telling me to "catch" as he gently lobbed a can my way perfectly which made me start to reconsider those "spidey senses" I swore he was developing. Once he was settled next to Bella, Alec opened the folder with all of the information in it I had been collecting. It didn't take long to lay out everything I had discovered. By the time we were finished explaining everything we had found, I was glad to see I wasn't the only one excited by the news. Now it was all just a matter of executing the raid.

EPOV

I could hear the pages Bella was holding as they crinkled in her hands. The news Emmett gave us was unbelievable. He had put it all together so easily. Apparently Caius' great-grandfather had been a resident of Forks back in the late 1800's and owned a small farm on the outskirts of town. It was all forest now, so it would have been easy to miss. Plus Caius' great-grandfather completely changed his last name because he was wanted for desertion by the then Confederate states. So until Emmett had gotten a lucky hit from, of all things a ancestry website he had one of our team in Seattle checking into, we had no clue that there was a connection between the two.

Bella's hand gripped mine and I felt it as she hid her face against my neck. Her lips pouted slightly against my skin and I felt the warmth of her tears as they trailed down my neck. "Bella, what's wrong baby? This is good news, aren't you happy?"

"I was in the woods that night Edward. I remember running, hitting trees, the ground was mostly soft with fallen leaves but it still hurt my feet as I ran." I sat still listening to Bella as she recalled that night, she rarely ever mentioned what happened, it was all so scary to her. I knew it was best to allow her to keep talking without interruption. "I heard water rushing by me…it was all so dark, I didn't know if I was going in the right direction or not." Her tears were falling harder now, it broke my heart to listen to her sob, I just wanted to make the pain go away. But I knew Emmett and Alec needed to hear this, details helped in pin-pointing the direction she ran that night.

Rubbing her back as I held her she continued on. "James found me right before I broke free, he tried to pull me back under, but I kicked him with every ounce of strength I had." I was confused now, pull her under? "Bella, love what do you mean pull you back under? Where you underneath something?" Her hair swished gently against my face as she shook her head no, her grip around my neck tightening as she explained. "I was underground, maybe a cellar or something, I don't know. It was cold and wet and there were a lot of smooth stones under my feet. I was so groggy when I woke up, but it seemed like there were halls of dirty walls?"

"Could be an old root cellar. Houses back in those days used them for food storage, they normally were connected to the house for easy access." There was more crackling of paper as Emmett and Alec whispered back and forth to one another. I was frustrated as hell because I couldn't see what they were doing, "Guys, what's going on?"

"Sorry Edward, forgot." I could tell by the sheepish tone of Emmett's voice he had forgotten that I couldn't follow along quite as well as I could before, so he started to narrate for me what they were doing as they were doing it. "We are looking at an old property map that we got from the county clerks office. If we can pin point the general area of where the old farm house was originally, and with what Bella has told us, it might help us to set up a better perimeter for our search." That made sense, if it were an old root cellar then the entrance to it wouldn't be to far from where the old farm house once stood.

"But you guys, I know from when I bought this house, they rarely list the actual location of the home, just the hook-ups around it like water, cable, phone…that sort of thing."

"You're right. This map shows the lay out of the land but it doesn't give any indication of where the old house might have stood." I didn't want to dampen their spirits but I also didn't want to get their hopes unnecessarily high either. "But look, there is mention of a river nearby and they have marked where a well source was. That had to have been not far from the house, right?" Emmett sounded so hopeful.

Bella had quieted down now, still snuggled in tight next to me, but I could tell she wasn't really listening to the conversation as she fiddled with a button on my shirt. Once again it grew quiet as Alec and Emmett spoke together about their next steps. "Right, so we've got some things we need to coordinate with Charlie before we act on this. I'll be sure to call you Edward before we act so you guys are kept in the loop, ok?" I just nodded in acknowledgement.

"We'll show ourselves out." I heard one set of foot steps getting further away as the other got closer. It's strange, I have never paid much attention to the way Emmett smelled before but as he got closer I could pick up his scent of aftershave, deodorant, coffee and wintergreen breath mints. "Be careful Em," Bella whispered softly as he leaned down to hug her goodbye. He really surprised me when he hugged me too. "I'll be back later tonight, bro." "Thanks Em, I really appreciate it."

I listened as he walked away, the front door clicking shut behind him. I sat still as Bella pulled slowly back from me, her voice sounded so small as she spoke, "What does he mean he'll be back, Edward?" I knew that I would have to explain myself at some point to Bella about what I had set up, I just didn't think it would have to be so soon after getting home. Truth be told I was hoping to have time to warm her up to the idea instead of just laying it out for her in one sitting. I just hope that she wouldn't be to difficult about it.

"Bella," why was it my mouth was suddenly bone dry as I started to speak? "Bella, I've talked to Charlie, Emmett and Alec about this and they all agree with me…" I paused, I didn't know how to word the next part without sounding like an overprotective whiny ass who was over compensating for not being able to protect her myself. "Just tell me what's going on Edward." I got lost focusing on the soft gentle way Bella's hands caressed the backs of mine as she held them in her hands.

"Bella, James has promised to try again in August to take you from me. It's his pattern, and he hasn't deviated from his pattern, well except for Victoria, but that we believe was a fluke." God I was already rambling and I hadn't really even gotten to the core of what I needed to talk to her about.

"So you want someone to stay here with us as extra protection." It wasn't a question, Bella knew what I wanted without me even having to say it. I was just surprised that she hadn't flown off the handle at the idea yet. I felt her hand gently cup my cheek and my body immediately leaned into her touch. "Will that put your mind more at ease Edward?" "I can't risk losing you Bella, and I can't protect you right now like I am, please."

The moments of silence ticked by as I waited for her answer, "Well I guess I need to go and put some clean sheets on the bed in the guest bedroom then. Will you be alright down here until I'm finished?" Bella's tone wasn't angry, she actually sounded ok with it. "Bella…," "Edward, you and I have been through enough with this animal on the loose. If this will help you to feel more at ease for the next few days then I'm all for it. Besides, I've been meaning to have more people over and who better to start with than my big brother."

I really had to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth to have a woman as understanding as Bella in my life. She really was far more than I deserved.

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JamesPOV

The house had been quiet for two days now and it was boring as hell. So all day today I had been working on my little gift for Edward. Ok, so I KNOW I'm a sick fucker, but I was seriously getting a kick out of it. This would be the final nail in old Eddie's coffin. If this didn't send his blood pressure rocketing to the moon, nothing would.

I sealed up the envelope and addressed it to that fucker Swan's apartment in Seattle. What better way to rub it in than to have big brother find it first? I grabbed my keys as I headed out the door. Doing a double take I disconnected the controller that attached the monitors to the remote system outside. Call me paranoid but I didn't want it to be left operational when I left.

I had picked up, ok picked up is putting it nicely…I stole an old beat up Chevy from the super market parking lot a few days ago. What was I going to do, everyone knew what I drove already so to be seen driving around in one of my own cars would have been a dead give away. I headed out of town towards Seattle planning on dropping off my little package. Sure I was going out of my way to have it taken care of, but in the end it would be worth it.

It was a few hours drive both ways so I had plenty of time to think out my next steps to my plan. August was going to be one hell of a ride. I couldn't wait to spend hours watching Isabella as she dressed in her skimpy bikini's, flaunting that tight ass and those full tits. God I wanted to get my hands on her so badly. My cock throbbing just thinking about it. August would be our month, I just knew it.

It was just after four when I got back. I was just about to pull onto the dirt path that would lead to my great grand-dads' old homestead when I noticed fresh skid marks leading up the path. Immediately I slammed on the breaks knowing that I had not made those marks. I had always been very careful not to leave traces that I had been here around so hopefully no one could find me. Shifting quickly into reverse I slid the truck into a shallow ditch and got out.

I knew these woods like the backs of my hands, so I knew I could make it up to the house without being seen. An old bunk mate of mine once told me that my tracking skills were unparalleled, like nothing he had ever seen before. So quiet as a mouse I slipped up to about fifty feet from where the entrance to the old root cellar was.

Before I could step any closer I knew it…

_SON OF A BITCH!_

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_A/N: I know I know how could I possibly end it with a cliffhanger like that especially right? Honestly it was just cause I was struggling sooo much to figure out exactly where I wanted this chapter to go towards the end that I had to pick a stopping point. James is so easy to write that if I didn't stop with that I knew I'd carry on for probably three more pages at least. _

_So don't hate me…please!_

_I wanted to answer a review someone sent me that I didn't get the chance to write back too….I plan on this story being probably at least fifty chapters long. I KNOW I have at least another ten in me if nothing else. I tend to be far to detailed in my write so it tends to be a bit slow going at times…so please just stick with me. _

_To everyone else, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. I wasn't able to get back to all of them but I deeply appreciate your comments and thoughts. For those of you that sent me outtake requests I'm working on those as well and will HOPEFULLY, unless something happens, post a few of those around Halloween. I thought a few outtakes of Edward and Bella's Halloweens together would be cute for you to read as well. _

_Ok ok enough with the babbling….again…thanks for reading…it means a lot to me._

_Love you all!_


	36. Chapter 36

**Twilight is owned in it's entirety by Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown publications. No infringement was intended in the making of this story. **

_A/N: I hope that you will all forgive me that this chapter is a little short, but I wanted to get it out to you when I felt it was finished…unfortunately finished, at least in this chapter, means short. I hope that you enjoy it none the less. Please feel free to leave me a review if you enjoy it._

_Thank you to all of my faithful readers out there. Oh and as a suggested reader, if you aren't already reading something great…try picking up KitKat681's story Darkness and Light. If you like blind Edward stories (which I love for some reason) then this is a wonderful twist on that. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I personally think it is Wonderful with a capital W!_

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JamesPOV

Pacing. Shit, was this what I had been reduced down too. That fucking son of a bitch Swan had some how found my great grand-father's house and in turn, my hide out. How he had done it was still a mystery to me. I thought I had been so careful, I mean he didn't even have the same last name as I did. So how the fuck he had connected the dots still puzzled me. But no matter how you looked at it, I was fucked. By now he and his band of "merry men" had taken away all my shit and I would be left with nothing.

Even if he had somehow left me something, there was no way in hell I was going back to that place. I wasn't born yesterday, the place would be crawling with surveillance just waiting for me to come back. No fucking way was I going back to that place. Forcefully I raked my hands through my hair, pulling at the ends. Shit, everything I owned was there. I didn't even have a fucking change of clothes. I was mad as hell at the turn of events. I threw the small controller from my cameras against the wall, watching as it shattered into a dozen small pieces.

Alright, if that's how they wanted to play this, then so be it. I would just have to step up my plans a bit, that's all. But first, I had to get a few supplies.

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EmPOV

The raid on James' suspected hide out had been planned for mid-morning. I called Edward earlier to fill him in on everything going on and he promised he would do everything he could to keep Bella calm. But he made me promise that they would be given a full update when it was all said and done and he made me promise to stay safe.

Alec and I had updated the SWAT team that would be raiding the location before my agents headed in, trying to give them a much information as we knew about James and what kind of man he was. The more they knew and what to expect, the better the outcome would be over all. I couldn't really settle on one emotion right now. I was anxious and nervous, psyched-up and scared to death of what we would find, if we would find anything.

It wasn't long before I found myself standing just outside a decrypted looking set of wooden cellar doors, gun in hand, waiting for the all-clear signal from the lead officer. It seemed to take forever, when I'm sure only a few minutes passed before the signal came that it was all clear and safe to enter. I was no where near ready for what I walked in on. Even Alec, who had entered just behind me, stumbled a little in his footing when he gazed around the open room.

I hadn't meant it to come out as a whispered question but it seemed I couldn't bring my voice to raise any louder. "How the hell am I going to explain this to Edward and Bella, bro?"

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BPOV

It seemed things were moving along so quickly since Edward and I had gotten home. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by it all to be quite honest. We had barely even stepped in the door before Emmett was dropping the bombshell on us that they had found what could possibly turn out to be James' hideout. I didn't know what I thought. I don't know what I was fighting inside myself more with, the fact that they had possibly found his hideout or the fact that they couldn't conduct the raid until the next day.

It was that uncomfortable little fact that had me sitting at my dinning room table this morning, surrounded by the women I loved and my fiancé, all desperately trying to keep me distracted, and failing miserably. Edward had called Esme this morning, who had called Alice, who called Rosalie who already knew what Emmett was doing this morning, so they all rushed over to be with me and Edward as we waited.

Edward was a rock and I was envious. How he kept from being nervous and anxious for an update like I was, I don't know. I couldn't help it, I could imagine everything that could happen with this raid this morning and none of it was good. What if James was there and he put up a fight? What if someone got hurt? What if he wasn't there and this nightmare continued on?

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I wasn't really even paying attention to the conversation going on around me. We had finally decided on a wedding date, December 24th, and everyone was here to help Edward and I to start making plans towards it. There was no disguising it, I was a nervous wreck. If it weren't the constant jumping of my leg that gave it away, then it was the never ending drumming of my pen against my note pad. "How about we have Pepto Bismol pink and Pumpkin orange as your colors, Bella." I barely registered Alice speaking to me so I just nodded my head, whatever Alice came up with I'm sure it would be fine. "That sounds great, Alice."

Edward's hand reached over and stopped my nervous pen tapping about the same time Rosalie burst out laughing. "Seriously Bella? We better be getting the pink because I do not do orange." I looked at each of them completely confused by what they were talking about. Edward quickly explained why they were all in either a state of shock or hysterics…well Alice was in shock, Rosalie and Esme were giggling. "Love, you just agreed to pink and orange as our wedding colors."

"I'm so sorry," I said as I rolled my eyes at my own stupid mistake, "I don't know where my head is right now." That wasn't completely true. I knew exactly where my head was right now. It was in the woods somewhere with my big brother praying he was safe. "It's alright dear. We are all concerned about what is going on right now. But it won't help anyone to sit and worry about it." Esme's kindness knew no bounds as she left her seat to come and sit beside me. Edward was still holding my hand as Esme put her arm around me to comfort me. "Now, let's try to focus on this and before you know it, they will be back and all will be alright."

It took six hours, lunch and part of the afternoon to finish up but somehow between Edward, Alice, Esme Rose and myself we had an small intimate wedding completely planned out. Each of us had a small list of things that needed to be done within the next two months. Barring any complications it would easily be completed giving Edward and I exactly the kind of wedding we had always dreamed off.

The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed marking off five o'clock. Esme was right, time did fly when you were focused on something else. But the normally comforting chiming of the clock only seemed to remind me that Emmett had yet to return, and I was growing more worried by the minute.

We were just gathering up all of our notes and things when the house phone began to ring. It was like watching a moving in slow motion as I watched Edward slowly make his way over to the cordless phone hanging on the cradle on the kitchen wall. Picking it up his fingers found the button to cut it on before answering, "Hello? Bro. you had us worried. What's going on, where have you been all this time?" There was a pause as he listened, "Yeah we can be there. When?" After a short pause Edward hung up the phone. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. I rushed to his side, "Edward what did he say?" "He wants us to come down to the station. He's got something he needs you to see."

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EPOV

Our small caravan of cars made it the five short miles to the police station in very little time. As Bella rushed around the house to close everything down and grab her coat and purse, mom called dad to let him know what was going on and to meet us at the station. Alice called Jasper and he was on his way, while Rosalie called Jacob for me to let him know what was going on. Mom was driving our car, I hadn't had my patches removed yet and Bella was in no shape to drive. Rosalie drove Alice in her car. As we pulled up you could hear three other sets of tires hit the gravel at just about the same time as ours did. I was able to get out of my side of the car fairly easily but knew I couldn't venture much further without assistance.

My dad's hands hand gripped my own alerting me to his presence, "Do you need a hand son?" His warm and gentle voice made me feel safer just knowing he was there. "Thanks dad I appreciate it." He slipped my hand in the crook of his arm, tucking me against his side. Before we started moving though I called out to Bella who quickly slipped her hand in my free one, there was no way I was letting her do this alone.

Slowly we made our way into police headquarters to meet with Emmett.

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EmPOV

Alec was just as blown away as I was. I think it literally took me minutes to pick my jaw up off the floor. The room was covered from floor to ceiling with pictures and details of women. As I stepped closer to look at one, I had to admit he was very thorough and methodical. Each section that displayed a new woman had a bio sheet all about her, from her height, weight and hair color, to details about the foods she bought and the kind of clothes she wore. There were complete schedules detailing their whereabouts throughout the entire day from one day to the next. Sometimes there were candid shots of them putting groceries into their car, setting out flowers in their yards or even just laughing with a friend. James knew these women inside and out.

I started on one side of the room as Alec started on the other. In the background you could hear the powering up and flash of the camera man from my team detailing the room. Before anything could be moved he had to take every detail down by camera. We even had an agent with a video camera recording our every movement. We didn't want to leave anything to chance. Slowly but surely we made our way to the middle of the room as we looked over the descriptions of each and every victim.

It had been several minutes since Alec had moved by the time I joined him. He was focused intently on one victim in particular. In the back of my mind I realized that Bella would be on this wall somewhere but I wasn't sure how ready I was to see it when my eyes finally did find her pictures. When my eyes focused in on what Alec had been staring at I couldn't help the anger that began to boil up inside of me. There were pictures of her doing everything from going out to get the mail, to kissing Edward goodbye in the morning. There was a picture of her jogging down main street, one of her flipping through a book as she stood in the library, there was even one of her as she stepped out of the shower at my dad's house. That one appeared to have been taken through the window. Her privacy had been invaded long before she was ever kidnapped and I was fucking pissed.

My anger came out in my voice as I barked my orders to the room full of agents. "I want every damn piece of this cataloged and photographed before you move it. Don't miss one single thing. You run out of evidence supplies you let either me or Alec know and we'll get you whatever you need. I need this to be meticulous guys, no fuck ups you hear me? And I don't care if we have to get a goddamn eighteen wheeler in here to haul it all away, we are taking everything. Even if you find evidence on the goddamn rocks I want those too!" The heads of over twenty agents all bobbed in understanding to my orders. They knew what was at stake and they all knew why it was so important to me.

Two hours had passed since we entered James' hideout and we had only barely scratched the surface to getting all of this evidence out of here. One whole corner had been cleared out as my team worked their way around the room. Every item had to be carefully logged and identified to the best of our abilities. Plus each item had to be in separate bags to keep it from cross-contaminating another item, so tons and tons of evidence bags were filtering out to the waiting truck.

In the end we did have to end up getting a massive eighteen wheeler up here in order to haul everything away. And let me tell you having that done was no small feat. The area surrounding our location was very dense with trees and overgrowth. While we were inside prepping evidence bags for transport dad's guys were outside doing the best they could to clear our underbrush just so we could walk without falling over our own feet. Charlie had also called several of the guys from the Rez and they had been more than happy to come up and help. They brought chainsaws, weed-whackers, hacksaws you name it they brought it. Within an hour a path was made clear enough I was sure even Bella could walk down without tripping, and that was saying a lot.

Once the eighteen wheeler got here and backed into place everyone started moving in order to get stuff loaded. Because we were in such heavily forested area we were loosing daylight quickly. Alec had called ahead and had gas powered generators brought in so that we could get several lights running. We would probably be working throughout the night to get everything we needed. I didn't want this to be just sitting here when it felt like we were getting so close to catching James.

It may sound strange but at one point it even felt like I could feel him near, just watching and waiting. I couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit smug. We were hot on his ass now and he had to be feeling the pressure. When perps felt the pressure they tended to mess up more. This was the time when we had to be ready for anything.

Alec and I were standing outside taking a breather. Inside was dank and cold and if you were in there for to long you almost began to feel weighed down, like something dark had a hold of you. So I insisted that everyone take shifts coming out and getting some fresh air periodically. Charlie's girlfriend Sue had heard that we were all up here and had insisted on going by the dinner to pick us all up something to eat. It was really great of her but totally unnecessary. Plus I'm sure it would be terribly expensive. But in true small town fashion, the owner of the diner donated all of the food stating that we were doing a great service by getting this animal off of the street and the least they could do was donate a few meals to say thank you.

Alec and I had just finished our sandwiches and chips when one of the tech agents came over carrying what looked like a small tripod. "Sir, I think I might have located the end of those cords we saw in the main room earlier." I'll be honest, techie stuff was not my strong point. I could read a person like a book, but when it came to technical stuff, I was lucky to get the manuals right side up much less understand them. "It looks like a transmitter of some sort, sir. It had a small receiving dish hooked up as well to it." So the guy was sending out a signal and also receiving one as well. Hell that could mean anything. He could have been stealing cable for all we knew. "Unfortunately without the missing connector we won't be able to be certain what wave band he was jacking into. But it had to have been within a fifty mile radius. This dish isn't that high powered."

Alec and I just logged this as yet another strange part of the puzzle that is James Reynolds. We were walking back downstairs to pick up cataloging where we had left off when another agent came running up to us. "Sir, we found something…you need to see this." The ashen look on his face left me feeling very worried.

We quickly walked to a back room off to the side of the main corridor. Upon entering it looked to be set up as a bedroom. There was a small double bed against a wall with a wall closet open showing a few tee-shirts and some pants. On the other wall was a large metal cabinet, this is what we were headed towards. "It's kind of shocking, sir." Slowly he opened up the metal case.

* * *

BPOV

It was going on seven but the sun was still giving off plenty of it's comforting rays. I needed all of the comfort from every possible source available right now. Holding on to Edward's hand I was trembling as we walked into the station. Emmett had called just a half hour ago and told Edward that we needed to head down to the police station. I wasn't sure what to make of my Dad meeting us at the front desk, but I instantly knew it wasn't going to be good news when he pulled me from Edward into his arms, hugging me tightly. Don't get me wrong my dad hugged me growing up, but he was never overly affectionate. Right now his hug was freaking me out. "Just try to remember that it probably looks worse than it really is, ok Bells?" His hug got tighter as a gasp slipped from my lips. What did that mean? Dad led me back over towards Edward and I grabbed on to his arm like my life depended on it. We all followed dad slowly out the back of the station house towards the warehouse behind it. They used this area to lay out evidence from major crime scenes. I could see the soft glow of the lights as it filled the room. Carlisle, Edward and I had fallen back behind the pack. I'm sure it was me that slowed us down behind the pack. With each step closer I got to the warehouse it felt like my feet were weighed down with lead. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe as we continued closer. Rose, Alice, Jasper, Jacob and Esme all stopped in front of us blocking our view. When they stepped away, allowing me to see the room, I suddenly wished I had not come at all. It would have been better not to know.

"Oh my god," I heard someone softly whisper. That was before everything went black and I tumbled to the ground.

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A/N: I KNOW, Trust me I know. Another cliffy…but don't you love it? I mean come on tell me honestly is the suspense killing you right now to know what she saw or did I fail miserably? This is a short chapter but that's because I really wanted to get another out to you guys so you wouldn't be waiting so long in between updates.

_I'm debating (and I hate this question so forgive me for asking)…would you, my wonderful, tolerant, loyal readers, be happier with shorter chapters updated more often or longer chapters that you might have to wait a little longer for?_

_Be honest. I love your thoughts. _


	37. Chapter 37

**Twilight is owned in it's entirety by Mrs. Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown Publishing INC. No infringement was intended in the making of this story. **

_A/N: Thank you to each and every one of you that had taken a moment to review my work. I'm so glad MOST of you weren't to upset with me over my cliffy. I swear I did it for a reason, and no it wasn't just to torture you. When I feel a chapter is finished I can't help where it ends. But I confess I do like the suspense. I will say this, I've never had so many threats of physical violence if I didn't update soon….tee hee. I'll do my best however to reward you for being such wonderful readers by not ending this chapter with yet another cliffhanger. _

_Also this chapter might answer a lot of questions you have. Oh and to all of my wonderful readers/reviewers that keep asking about the cameras. I SWEAR I've not forgotten them. And they will be coming up later….just not right now. I have a method to my madness…trust me._

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BPOV

Everything was so foggy feeling. I could hear talking, but it sounded slurred so I couldn't make out all of the words. Ones I did make out were "Bella, Edward and freaking out"…things like that. Hearing those words made me want to try to pull myself out of this murky haze I was currently swimming under. My eyelids felt so heavy as I tried to pry them open. My back was so sore, which I could only assume was from landing after I passed out. Why did I pass out again? It all came rushing back to me then.

_We were slowly walking to the back of the station house towards the warehouse they housed major crime scenes in. Edward was being led by Carlisle and I had a death grip on Edward's free hand. Every bit of strength I had to continue the necessary steps forward was coming from Edward. Even in his current condition, he was my main source of strength and courage. _

_Everyone seemed to stop at the same time and part of me wished I could just turn around and rush back to the station house, forgetting the whole thing. Initially I remember feeling it was a good idea for Edward and I to be involved in the case. It was only fair right? I mean I was the victim and it would help bring me closure to see the case out to the end and know that justice was served. That's what I was doing right? So why did my heart feel like it was a ton of lead? Why were my feet dragging with each step? I didn't even realize I was trembling until I felt Edward's hand squeeze mine harder. _

_I made my way to the front, gently pushing through, past my family. I wasn't ready for what I was about to see. Memories are tricky like that. Sometimes you can think that you don't really remember something, until another something comes along to trigger that memory. Seeing the room laid out before me was all it took to make it all come rushing back. I didn't even realize I was holding on to this.._

_Now laying here, I just wanted it all to go away._

_The voices were becoming much clearer now. _"I think she's starting to wake up, daddy." I would recognize Alice's chirping voice anywhere. _There was a gentle tug on my hand and I could feel what must have been Carlisle's fingers pressed against my wrist taking my pulse. My head was becoming much clearer. My eye lashes began to flutter as I fought with my eyes to open. I also felt warm breath against my face that had a slight hint of cinnamon mixed with it. Slowly I was able to turn my head as my eyes finally opened and I was met with the face of my love, looking so worried….wearing sunglasses?_

EPOV

It felt like the walk from the front of the station to the back was going to take forever. I figured we were probably walking slower so I wouldn't fall over my own two feet. In new territories I was worse than Bella on a normal day, stumbling over unseen rocks…or air. All those years of gently teasing Bella over her own clumsiness were coming back to haunt me now. But she never said anything to be hateful. Most times she'd make a jab and then give me a little tickle in the ribs to make sure I knew she was playing with me.

Dad had come to a stop so I stopped beside him. I was waiting for him to begin explaining to me what he was looking at - having these damn patches over my eyes for at least the next couple days was really beginning to be a pain - but all I heard was a collective gasp from everyone around me. Before a word could be spoken I felt Bella's tight grip on my hand fall limp and slip from my fingers, followed only moments later by a soft thud at my feet.

"Bella! Bella! Where are you baby?" I let go of my dad's arm just as he pulled away from me. Everyone's voiced were so loud as they rushed closer to me. That had to have meant Bella was at my side and they were coming to her aid. These damn bandages were fucking pissing me off right now, stopping me from seeing my Bella. Reaching up I began to tug at them trying to get them off. I knew it was getting darker outside so I didn't think the light would be a problem. But right now I didn't give a damn I just needed to see Bella. I barely registered my dad's hands pulling at mine to stop me from ripping the bandages from my face, "Son, please stop. If you want them off let me get you and Bella inside first then I'll help you, alright?"

The image in my head was being painted out for me as I picked up on all the sounds around me. A large metal door slammed in the background, which I could only assume meant the opening to the warehouse was being closed. My mom's hands grabbed mine pulling me up and into her body as I felt her ushering me forward back the way we had come. I could hear Alice's voice in front of me as she instructed Jasper to "be careful and to watch her head," so that must have meant that Jasper was carrying Bella. I was on the verge of a panic attack knowing she needed to be carried and not walking on her own. This had to have meant she passed out or something. But why did she pass out, what did she see that caused her to become so overwhelmed?

"In here," came Charlie's gruff instructions to Jasper, we all followed behind and my mom guided me over to a chair to sit down. "Dad, what's going on? Is Bella ok?" It was impossible to keep the panic out of my voice. Something had happened to my baby and I was losing it not knowing what was wrong with her, not being able to see for myself. "Mom, please help me take these bandages off, please. I need to see Bella."

My mom's gentle hands caressed my cheeks as she held my face steady. "Please momma," I whispered so only she could hear me. I knew I was hitting below the belt with that one but I needed to get to Bella, to see with my own eyes that she was alright. "Carlisle?" I could hear it in my mom's voice that she was calling his attention to her, not to ask for permission but to show him that she was doing as I asked.

"Alice dim the lights a bit in here please." My dad's warm voice always had a calming effect on me. The gentle tugging began on the patches around my eyes as my mom's soft fingertips carefully began to remove the bandages. My dad's voice was farther away as he spoke. "Remember to keep your eyes closed until your mother has the bandages off. Then you have to wear my sunglasses to be on the safe side." I felt Alice's tiny hands brush mine as she placed my dad's sunglasses in my hands.

My mom was being painstakingly slow as she removed the patches. I knew she would never cause me any pain unnecessarily, but right now I would have tolerated it if she had just ripped them off and been done with it. Finally the last bandaged was off and mom was lifting my hands to usher me to obey the rules and put the sunglasses on before I opened my eyes. It had to have been the weirdest experience when I finally did get them open. They felt crusty from being covered so long and so many nights of sleep without being able to rub them clear. Plus they were grainy feeling like my eyes were covered in sandpaper. I desperately wanted to rub them a little but I knew that would probably cause my dad to flip. Looking around everything was blurry, but I knew from the talk with the doctor at the hospital that it would take some time for that to clear up because of the chemicals that were used. I moved to stand but felt a head rush as I did, causing me to stumble a little. Mom's hands were instantly grabbing my arm just as I felt someone else wrap their arm around my shoulders to steady me. Looking over I saw a very blurry Jacob next to me. The closer I got to his face I could tell he was worried because the frown line between his eyes was so deep. "Thanks man," I said for him stopping me from falling. "Anytime bro. Do you want me to help you over to the couch?"

I nodded vigorously as he began to lead me over to where Bella had been placed. My dad was sitting at her side checking her pulse and Charlie was standing over her at the head of the couch. Jacob kindly pulled a chair close to the side that I could sit in as my dad continued to look her over. "Dad, is she alright?"

"I believe she just fainted son. She should be fine as soon as she wakes up." I gently gripped her small hand in mine pressing my lips against her knuckles as I whispered to her, "Please wake up Bella. I need to know you are alright." I pressed my face against the side of hers. I could feel my breath warm her cool skin. My face was pressed so close to hers that I could see her long eyelashes as they fluttered against her cheekbones. I so desperately wanted to see those beautiful chocolate eyes, that I wasn't even paying attention to the conversation going on around me. All I cared about was my beautiful angel laying in front of me. What could she have seen in that warehouse that was so horrible?

In all actuality it didn't take long for her to wake, even though it felt like hours. But when I saw those beautiful brown eyes finally staring back at me I wanted to get lost in them forever. "Bells, are you alright?" Charlie reached down to put his hand on her shoulder as he kneeled down close to me. "I swear I would never have taken you back there if I had thought you would react this way. I'm so sorry baby." Poor Charlie. You could tell by the way his voice cracked with just about every word that if he had been alone he would have been in tears. "No it's my fault," I heard Emmett say from behind me. "I knew you were coming, I should have had it closed off before you got there. Shit, Bella I'm so sorry."

She was shaking her head before the words completely left his mouth. There was no way she was going to allow her father or brother or anyone for that matter to beat themselves up over this. Slowly she began to sit up. Both Dad and I wanted her to stay laying down, but she was determined, so we helped her. I took the seat beside her, never letting her hand go. She leaned against my shoulder taking comfort from my touch as I wrapped my free arm around her. "You guys had no way of knowing." I watched as her fingers ran through her hair pushing it back from her face. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I didn't realize I remembered it so vividly."

For the next thirty minutes Bella sat there telling us all about what had startled her so much. The agents had laid out the evidence exactly as they had gotten it from James' hide out. Unfortunately this had caused Bella to have massive flashbacks from that night. "It's completely normal for you to block out memories from a traumatic event Bella." Carlisle offered as he gently patted her knee. "It was like being there all over again though. I didn't realize I had seen so much of the room till just then."

BPOV

I had been sitting on the couch for almost 45 minutes telling everyone the different memories and flashbacks I had when seeing that room. But now I wanted to get out of here. But I didn't want to go back home, not just yet. "Emmett I need to see it again." Emmett was shaking his head before I could even finish, " No way in hell, Bella. It was an accident that you saw as much as you did, there's no way I'm going to take you on a tour of it all."

"Please Emmett. I need to see it so that I am finally able to face it all. I don't want to be stuck with these flashbacks." I hated that I couldn't stop from getting so upset. "I need to face these memories head on if I'm going to be able to move past them."

I could see him thinking through every word I said trying to work around them to another conclusion. But I knew in the end he'd agree with me. "As much as it pains me to say it, she is right Emmett." Carlisle took his oath as a physician very seriously. He believed strongly in their motto to "never do any harm" so I knew for him to take my side in this matter, especially with it being me, he had to truly believe in what he was saying. What I didn't expect was for Edward to take Emmett's side. "No."

Edward's head was down so I couldn't see the expression on his face or look into his eyes, not that I could see much right now with them being covered by the sunglasses. But even with all of that I never would have expected Edward not to be on my side, not about something like this that was so important. "Edward, please understand…"

"What I understand is when you first escaped from that hell hole you were terrified to even close your eyes at night. What I understand is that you were terrorized there and touched and…" I listened as Edward gave me reason after reason why I shouldn't go back to the evidence room. And I watched as his chest rose and fell quicker with each reason. I watched as the tears he had been wanting to cry for the past few days since his attack fell down his cheeks from under his glasses. If you listened closely I'm sure you could almost hear Edward's heart breaking as he recounted every way that he could have lost me over the past few months. It was then that I also realized that it wasn't just me who was deeply affected by this mad man. As I looked around the room at all of those that I loved, I realized how tattered and bruised my wonderful, loving family really was. At times, like now, we were holding on by a thread, doing the very best we could just to make it to the next day, praying that it would be better than the last. Somewhere there had to be an end to this nightmare.

I stroked Edward's face, loving the different textures of his skin as my fingers gently passed over them. He hadn't shaved this morning. Secretly I knew, he knew, that I loved it when he didn't shave, so sometimes he would go three and four days without shaving just so I could enjoy the scruffy texture when he'd snuggle against me. I traced my fingers along his full pink lips. I loved the way his bottom lip was slightly fuller than his top and how he seemed to always sport a constant pout, especially when he slept. There was no way I could keep from kissing him, so I willingly gave in and enjoyed the feel and delicious taste of Edward on my lips. He never failed to make me feel loved, warm, cherished and most of all safe just with the simple touch of his body against mine. "Edward, I know that with you and our family by my side I can face anything. Baby I need to do this. If it becomes to much then I'll leave right away, ok?"

I knew his sight was still very blurry and the dark shades were adding a bit to the distortion of what he was seeing, so it didn't surprise me when I felt his fingers pass gently over my face. "Will I ever learn to say no to you and mean it?" He said giving a soft chuckle before giving me a soft peck on the lips again. "I certainly hope not," I giggled.

EmPOV

We all made the short trip back to the now closed up warehouse. Before, the major front door had been opened so that the eighteen wheeler could be backed up to it close enough that there wouldn't be a ton of walking to do. I had left a few agents and a few of Dad's armed officers at the site to keep bagging evidence while we brought what we had to the warehouse to start setting it up. There was so much to go through. I had already looked through enough of his shit to determine James would be locked up for the rest of his life if not executed for what he had done to some of these girls.

Alec and I both had to take several breaks through out when it became to much. It was just so hard to prevent thinking, "Did he do this to Bella?" whenever you'd pick up a picture or a weapon he had kept. And when we opened that cabinet I often wondered how either of us had been able to look at it without throwing up or trashing the place. I had no idea how Bella would take looking at it, but I would soon find out.

We had been looking around for a while, me or Alec pointing out to her and the family different items we had found and speculating on their significance. Jasper had been most interested in the set-up of the tattooing items, because and I quote "that's some expensive shit, and not easily moved around." He absolutely hated that his tattooing catalog, that had been previously stolen from his shop, had to be kept as evidence, but he understood that it was a major piece to the puzzle and putting James behind bars where he belonged.

Our review of the evidence was coming to the end and we had reached the final piece we had unloaded for Bella to see. I just knew it was going to be the hardest part. I nearly fell apart when I opened the metal cabinet that had been sitting in what was supposed to be James' bedroom. Bella and Edward had slowly made their way to my side as I stood in front of the cabinet poised to open it. "Bells, this is not going to be easy for you to see." She just looked at me with a small smile as her eyebrows raised slightly as if to say 'yeah like it's been a picnic so far'. Edward's arm was wrapped tightly around her waist as I stepped toward the cabinet. Even though he couldn't really make out a lot of the details of the items due to his still blurry vision and the need for the sunglasses, Edward never left Bella's side. Sometimes she would try to describe what she was looking at for him to better understand the blurry items in front of him.

The whole family gathered in close behind Bella and Edward as I slowly unlatched the doors to the cabinet. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The only thing that broke the silence was Bella's soft whispering voice, "It's my hair."

BPOV

My hair. Not just my hair. There had to have been twelve ponytails of hair from different women. They all looked like they had been labeled and were all neatly preserved in plastic bags. Why would he keep my hair? "Bella?" Edward's soft whisper in my ear broke me out of my thoughts. "It's the hair he cut off me before he gave me the tattoo. It looks like I'm not the first one he's done that too either."

"Baby, tell me what to do. Are you alright?" I knew Edward hated feeling so helpless. It was in his nature to want to make everything better. "It's alright, love. It's odd, but it doesn't bother me as much as I guess I assume it should?" I was puzzled. Shouldn't a normal reaction to be disgusted, to be horrified by this? Why was I taking it so well?

I turned around and faced my dad and brother. "Can we go home now? I just want to go home." We made our way back to the cars parked out front. The drive home was a quiet one. You could tell Esme's mothering side was kicking in, she so badly wanted to just take care of everyone. Me, I wanted to sleep. Sleep for however long it would take for this nightmare to just all go away.

After the car came to a stop I took Edward's hand and led him inside after saying goodnight to Esme. After locking up we took the stairs up to our bedroom. Each step made my feet feel like lead and the soft thump, thump of our feet on the steps echoed around the house. I stopped at the edge of the bed, not moving. "Edward." I wasn't sure he heard me. I barely heard it come from my own lips I called his name so softly.

I felt his hands slide around my waist and he snuggled me back into his chest. "Tell me what to do Bella. Tell me how to make it better."

"Just hold me, please."

His hands made slow methodical movements as one by one he took off my clothes. Kicking off his shoes he made quick work of his jeans leaving him only in his white boxers. The room was dark, only the moonlight illuminating it. He removed his sunglasses before pulling his tee-shirt over his head. The care he took in undressing me wasn't sexual. No, it was a different kind of intimate. This was the kind of intimate that only a lover could show to someone he considered his world. Even when he took off my bra and let it fall to the ground he didn't make a move to start anything. Edward would always know exactly what I needed and right now, I needed to be reminded that I was safe and loved and that somehow in the end, it would all be alright. It had to be.

After he pulled the covers back I climbed in with him close behind me. His arms were so warm as they wrapped around me. I was pressed up tight against him, I swear I could feel his heartbeat through my back. His hips curved along mine as he intertwined his leg with mine.

"I love you, Bella. Always have, always will."

"I love you too baby."

As we lay there listening to the crickets chirp softly in the background, feeling the cool sheets against our skin, I knew we weren't finished with all of this. James would be looking to strike soon. He was being cornered in and like any tiger being boxed in, he had to put up one last fight before he was finally captured. I just prayed that I wouldn't have to pay the ultimate price and lose someone I loved in the process.

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A/N: So tell me…did I answer any questions that you might have with this chapter? Thank you so much to everyone that chooses to read my story. It means the world to me. And to those that have suggested that it was good enough to be published….wow! REALLY? Thanks a lot. I don't know that I will go that route, but thank you anyway for the HUGE compliment.

_Review….pretty please….tell me what you think._

_Look for another update HOPEFULLY if everything goes well Halloween night. I plan on posting some outtakes as well as another chapter. That's the plan anyway! Let's hope everything goes ok._

_Love you all…I really mean it. _


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